
6. F.@F^EIGj-ITO^ 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Shelf ■_. p ..^. G >7 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



NOISE IT ABROAD; 



BlTLER AND HlS METHODS, 



TOGETHER WITH 



REMARKABLE EVENTS ATTENDING SOME 

OF THE REVIVALS IN WHICH 

HE HAS LABORED. 

i:y 

REY. C. F. CREIGHTON, A. M. 

Of the Ohio Conference. 

With an Introduction, by Rev. S. A. Keen, A. M. 



Now when this was kuish.I abroad tin- multitude 




COLUMBUS, OHIO : 

WM. G. HUBBABD, AUTHOR'S PUBLISHER. 

1885. 



h 



Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1885, 

KEY. C. F. CREIGHTOX. A. M., 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C. 



Whom I Owe More Than I Can Pay, and Love Better 

Than I Can Tell, the Best Body of Men I Ever 

Knew, the Worthy Successors of 

JOHN WESLEY, 

Who Are Known to All the World as 

Methodist Preachers, 

This Book Is Respectfully Dedicated by the Author. 



" And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the 
everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to 
every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, — Rev. 14:16. 



e^c-ficui tu-| iTicit' cm cxI'chlVo f; noiufcbcjc 
o^ ll'ic iuo:l; o[ ^?,ol> in ^cirtucj *oul\ i» iw 
coufo: mi l't| luit'li I'fic ^iuiuc mcl'fioo" of 
^ca,cftiucj I'l'ic itvaosc^, ci fvcrc&tj cu^o:>c l'l\ e 

ic&ov> of sw e. w. e:oic|riiou, a. sic,, *** 

ptiGfL^fu tie} I'fiLv luocf;. 

( ",|a mc: S. pilfer. 



Preface. 



' 'These remarkable events ought to be record- 
ed. We are witnessing scenes that are worthy 
to be compared with the early days of Method- 
ism." Such was the remark of a brother who 
was present at the Circleville meeting ; and his 
view of the matter was abundantly seconded by 
ministers and laymen who volunteered the same 
suggestion. Among those advising the publica- 
tion of an account of these meetings, one wrote, 
expressing the opinion that "such a book would 
have a mission, and might be a blessing to thou- 
sands." Encouraged by these sentiments, and 
with something of the same hope, the book was 
begun in the midst of the scenes which it records. 

The Author acknowledges that it was written 
in great haste, and in the midst of pastoral labors 
the most arduous and abundant of any period of 
his ministry. But while this admission might be 
fatal to a philosophical treatise, he humbly sub- 
mits that in a work of this kind the same objec- 

5 



tions cannot apply ; for, while he was in haste, 
he was heated too, and fresh from the scenes 
which are here described. 

The title of the book, if understood in the sense 
' of noising abroad the fame of Rev. J. S. Bitler, 
is a misnomer. It is our purpose to noise abroad 
the work of God as demonstrated under his 
labors ; and the aptness of this title can onl) be 
appreciated, when on reading the book it is found 
to be the key note of Mr. Bitler's method in con- 
ducting revivals. Its warrant is seen, not only 
in the results that crown his labors, and in the 
practical commendation of men of business, but 
in Scripture precedents. When on the day of 
Pentecost the Holy Ghost fell on the disciples, 
"this was noised abroad, the multitude came 
together, and were confounded" — "and the 
same day there were added unto them about three 
thousand souls. " It was afterward noised abroad 
through the book of The Acts, and no man can 
number the hosts that have heard the "sound," 
and felt the "mighty rushing wind." 

Peter was preacher in charge on that day, and 
when "standing up with the eleven he lifted up 
his voice," his fame was destined to be forever 
associated with the day of Pentecost, and the 
fiery baptism of the Holy Ghost. But the mere 
prominence of Peter's name, is so far eclipsed by 



PREFACE. 7 

the glory that covered them all, that nobody- 
thinks of attributing a line of the sacred record 
to praise or panegyric. Unless the evangelist is 
but an agent in the hands of God, he is nothing. 

This book was not written at the instance of 
Bro. Bitler ; nor to serve his purpose as a pro- 
fessional evangelist ; nor to noise abroad his fame, 
as a primary or secondary end ; nor yet to adver- 
tise his meetings. It is written under the impres- 
sion that these revival scenes ought to be pub- 
lished for the glory of God ; and in the hope, 
that these incidents, methods and suggestive 
means employed by him, may contribute incen- 
tives to revival work, by stimulating the faith of 
the church, and becoming helpful to christian 
workers who are aiming to secure the salvation 
of men. If however, a more extended knowledge 
of his meetings and methods shall add to his 
celebrity, and widen the field of his usefulness, 
we cannot see that objections should be raised.. 
He is surely entitled to a just appreciation, if by 
the results of his labors he earns the reputation 
of being a successful evangelist 

The book contains an account of at least two 
revivals, which, it is thought, are worthy to rank 
among the most remarkable of modern times. 
Read in the dim light of the Author's imperfect 
delineations, the statement may not seem to find 



5 ' PREFACE. 

a warrant in these pages, but to those conversant 
with these meetings and familiar with revival 
literature, no chapter of modern revival history- 
contains more marked manifestation of divine 
power. 

While not attempting a comprehensive "Life" 
of Rev. J. S. Bitler, it was thought that a bio- 
graphical account of the chief personage to which 
it relates would be essential to the work. This is 
made especially applicable, since the connected 
incidents of his life form a scries of special prov- 
idences that lead to, and eventually culminate in, 
the labors and triumphs of these great meetings. 

Some things are said that reflect a degree of 
credit upon the evangelist which his modesty 
might disclaim. Rut the Author is himself re- 
sponsible, and insists upon the right to tell as 
much of the truth as in his judgment will con- 
tribute to a proper understanding of the theme 
in hand. 

Keeping constantly in view the end of such a 
work, the Author has sought to utilize the various 
phases presented, and has introduced practical 
remarks and incidental suggestions with reference 
to the management of revivals in detail. The 
last part of the work, which treats of methods, 
will be found to be liberally interlined with these 
suggestions. While the Author is entitled to no 



PREFACE. 9 

claim as a teacher, he assumes that evangelistic 
workers are students, and not only anxious to 
know the facts of revival work, but the philoso- 
phy of its cause and effect, as observed by the 
writer during the various stages of these meet- 
ings. If he has transcended the limits of a be- 
coming modesty in volunteering advice, he pleads 
in defense an ardent desire to see revivals of 
religion intelligently promoted. 

C. F. Creighton. 
Circleville, O, July i, 1 88 5. 




Contents. 



Introduction. 



CHAPTER I. 23 

Biography. 
Birth — Parentage — Baptism — Conversion — Call to 
Preach — Preparation for the Ministry. 

CHAPTER II. 33 

Biography, Continued. 

Qualifications — Urbana Camp-Meeting — A Divine 
Anointing — Partial Estimate of the Subject — First 
Attempts at Public Speaking— Licensed to Preach. 
First sermon. 

CHAPTER III. 43 

Evangelistic and Regular Work. 

First Impressions — Revivals at Ostrander and Flint. 
Remarkable Incidents — Olive Green — Appointed 
to Carthage — Harrison, Westwood, and Westward. 



CONTENTS. 1 1 

, CHAPTER IV. 52 

Missionary to Dakota. 
Chamberlain — Sickness — Death — Final Abandon- 
ment of the Field — No more "Plans" — Home 
Again — Revivals at Third street, Columbus ; and 
Main street, Chillicothe. 

CHAPTER V. 58 

Fishing on the banks of the Missouri. 
Charles H. Gilmore — The Converted Commedian In 
A New Role. 

CHAPTER VI. 71 

Weighing Anchor. 
Supplying Wesley Chapel — Evangelistic Impressions. 
Transferred to The Ohio Conference — The Climax 
of Decision — -A Location Granted. 

CHAPTER VII. 82 

The Vindication. 
Revival At Corning —Obstacles — Political Excite- 
ment — Rev. Benjamin Green — Warnings — Saved 
From A Drunkard's Grave. 

CHAPTER VIII. 92 

Gallipolis. 

Its Location — Commercial Advantages — Moral Stat- 
us, and Methodism. 



1 2 CONTEXTS. 

CHAPTER IX. 105 

The Gallipolis Revival. 

Holiday Diversions — Appliances used — A "Watch 
flight" Meeting — Young People's Meeting — Going 
"Up-Stairs" — Paying the Bills. 

CHAPTER X. 114 

Gallipolis Revival, Continued. 
The "High Water Mark." — Special Meetings — Press 
Comment — Drunk — A Converted Catholic — Ob- 
duracy Conquered. 

CHAPTER XL 128 

Gallipolis Revival, Continued. 
Six Hundred and Twenty-Five — A Sceptic Saved. 
Backslider Reclaimed — • -Weak-Minded" — Xon- 
Church-Goers— County Officials— FIRE ! ! ! 

CHAPTER XII. 139 

Gallipolis Revival, Continued. 
The Local Press, Journal, Bulletin, Tribune, and 
District JVezvs — Twenty-six Hundred and Fifty- 
one — "The Dipper" — River Men — All Aboard! 

CHAPTER XIII. 151 

Gallipolis Revival, Concluded. 
Great Sinners — Deliverance from Bondage — Saloon 
Interests — Amusing Persecutions — Testimonial 
from the Mayor of the City — "Refugees" — Prohi- 
bition of the Liquor Traffic. 



13 

164 



i73 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Circleville Revival. 
Elements of Preparation — Field of Battle. 
CHAPTER XV. 
Circleville Revival, Continued. 
Three Hundred Conversions in Three Weeks — Young 
Men. Noising it Abroad — "Holding Out" — Ho- 
liness Commended — Young People's Meetings 
— Five Hundred and Forty Conversions. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Circleville Revival, Continued. 

Behind the Scenes — Private Talk to Young Men. 
— An Altar on the Stage. 

CHAPTER XVII. 196 

An All-day Meeting — A Business Man's Stand-point. 

A Dress Parade — Experiences of C. J ., Wm. 

and Family — Mrs. Frame's Revival. 



185 



H- 



CHAPTER XVIII. 210 

No Backing — Experience of George S . — Tele- 
graph Operators — No More Sprees. 



CHAPTER XIX. 220 

Other Denominations — Effects on the Community. 

Too Many Churches ! — Conversion of a Deaf 

Mute — Triumphant Death of the First Convert. 

— Another Safe. 



14 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XX. 

Day of Jubilee. 

Invitations — Praise Service — Sermon — Afternoon 
Session — Responses — Reports from Visiting Minis- 
ters—Closing Address by Dr. Trimble — A Pente- 
cost at Night — Fruits of the Jubilee ; and Closing 
Service of the Revival. 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Methods. 

The Study of Methods— A Key to the Situation. 
Preaching not at fault — Copyists — Questionable 
Methods — A "Bad Box." 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Bitleis Methods. 

The Banner — Scripture Mottoes — Tracts— The News- 
papers — "Done for Effect" — Reaching the Masses. 

— Demonstrations. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

Bitter's Methods, Continued. 

Help When Needed — Sounding His Trumpet— Loose 
Ends — Singing — Shaking Hands — Special Features 
— Doctrines Preached — No Opposition. 



CONTENTS. 1 5 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Pastor and Evangelist. 
Pastor the Commander-in-Chief — Evangelist to have 

Full Scope — Not to be divorced from his Methods. 

— Conspicuous Absentees — Order of Signatures. 

— Falling Off — All Evangelistic Agencies One 
Work. ' 



Introduction. 



TJTHE subject of Evangelism is at present 
-*■ attracting attention as never before. The 
study is full of interest to all the friends of 
aggressive Christianity. In view of these facts, 
the present volume will be a welcome and 
invaluable addition to evangelistic literature — a 
new department in religious publication, distinct 
from the devotional and theological. This book 
might well be called a treatise on modern evan- 
gelism ; for, while it embodies the biography of 
a marvelously successful living evangelist, giving 
its pages the fascination of personal fact and 
incident, it also combines therewith reflections, 
suggestions and instructions respecting revivalis- 
tic work by the author, the Rev. C, F. Creigh- 
ton, whose success as a pastoral evangelist is 
parallel with that of its subject, the Rev. J. S. 
Bitler, as a special evangelist. The book is both 
concrete and discursive ; theoretical and prac- 
tical. 

Two forms of evangelism are taught in the 



1 8 INTRODUCTION. 

New Testament, and have characterized the 
Church throughout its history. One is pastoral 
evangelism, as enforced by the apostle when he 
enjoins upon one who was to have the care of 
the churches, " Do the work of an evangelist." 
This form of evangelism has its representatives 
in Timothy, of the ApostoJical times, and in his 
successors of the pastorate in modern times, such 
as Spurgeon, Cuyler, Pentecost, J. O. Peck, and 
many other pastors who are winning souls to 
Christ by the appliances of the regular pastorate. 
The other form is special evangelism, as recog- 
nized by the same apostle when he writes, 
" some evangelists," represented by Philip in 
the early church, and by Moody, Hammond, 
Harrison, and a host of others who at the pres- 
ent time are turning multitudes to righteousness. 
These modes of evangelism do not divide its 
kingdom against itself. They are correlative 
forces ; both are indispensable to the most rapid 
and signal extension of Christ's kingdom. The 
present volume recognizes both of these modes 
of evangelism, and is equally suggestive respect- 
ing each. 

The recent prominence of special evangelism ; 
the large force, ministerial and lay, which it now 
marshals, and the success which is attending its 
movements in the conversion of sinners and the 



INTRODUCTION. 1 9 

quickening of the churches, justly entitle it to 
the confidence and appreciation of the church. 
The following pages present graphically and 
thrillingly how tributary the work of special 
evangelism, which its subject is doing, is to the 
improvement and advancement of the church. 
That another new and powerful evangelist should 
arise, or that the number of such are rapidly 
multiplying, is not strange nor alarming, for the 
popular demand is greater than the supply. 

It is inspiring to see Moody, Hammond, 
Harrison, and a legion like them, moving for- 
ward under the tremendous anointing of power 
which propels them in their soul-saving enter- 
prises and endeavors ; but, with all these are 
doing, and all that is being done by special 
evangelism in its organized movements — the 
Salvation Army, the Prayer Leagues, Associa- 
tions for the Promotion of Holiness, the Young 
Men's Christian Association — it fails to fully 
supply the increasing demand there is for it. 
The calls of the living evangelists are far in 
excess of their time and strength. This matter 
is not yet overdone. The Holy Spirit is neither 
superfluous nor prodigal in his bestowments. 
When He gives to the church ' 'some evangelists, " 
He only sends what He knows is needed. And 
whom He calls to the work He justifies, that is, 



20 INTRODUCTION. 

indicates by the signs of an evangelist, following 
in the wake of their labors. If abundant fruit 
is proof of a divine sanction, the subject of this 
book, as its pages will show, is liberally com- 
mended of God. Every evangelist in a marked 
sense is sui genetis. He has a personality 
peculiarly his own. This is his principal capital 
naturally. Divine wisdom no doubt chooses 
him for this reason. It is no fault that evangel- 
ists are peculiar. They are made so, and called 
of God because they are so. Their peculiarity 
adapts them to their mission. Their work par- 
takes of their own individuality. Their methods 
are emanations from themselves. They are a 
law unto themselves, and must be so judged. 
They are Spiritual Autocrats by divine appoint- 
ment. Therefore in their meetings they are 
leaders ; all others are followers. Pastors and 
Churches who do not recognize and accept as 
providential their leadership, ought not to invite 
their presence and services. The subject of this 
book is peculiar in his personality, in his anoint- 
ing, and in his methods. The title of the book 
is suggested by the most prominent feature in 
his diversified methods, that is, "Noising it 
Abroad" a continuous declaring by himself and 
by others of what God has done, and is doing. 
This is staple in all his meetings, and is obvious- 



INTRODUCTION. 2 1 

\y effective. The greater part of the book is an 
entertaining development of the judicious way 
in which he uses this tactics. Having been ac- 
quainted intimately for ten years with both the 
author and subject of this volume, and being 
thoroughly conversant with their gifts, graces, 
usefulness and manner of life, it affords me un- 
mixed pleasure to commend, to all lovers of 
Christianity in earnest, this volume, which isalike 
creditable to their hearts and their lives. The 
book is aflame with the spirit of the revival scenes 
and success which it chronicles ; it gleams with 
live coals gathered from fresh altar fires; its 
thoughts burn with holy fervor. The intellectual 
and literary quality of these pages is free from 
platitudes and insipidness. There is mental pow- 
er, originality, and often brilliancy traceable in 
them. The volume is in the spirit of its title ; 
it "noises abroad" the great dealings of God,and 
so becomes an evangel carrying cheer and inspi- 
ration to God's workers everywhere. Were all 
its readers as well informed of the circumstances 
of its origination as myself, they would feel as 
does the writer of this Introduction, that it is a 
child of Providence, and would peruse it with 
an interest which only such an understanding of 
its production could inspire. Having been in- 
dited by the same blessed Holy Spirit which in- 



22 INTRODUCTION. 

spired the Word of God, ma) it partake in a 
finite degree of the efficiency which is peculiar 
to the book of Revelation. May it not return 
void, but accomplish that whereto a Divine 
Providence shall send it. 

S. A, Keen. 

Lancaster, 0. May I, 1885. 




NOISE IT ABROAD. 



CHAPTER I. 

Biogiaphy. 



Birth, Parentage, Baptism, Conversion, Call 
to Preach, Preparation for the Ministry. 

James Summerfield Bitler was born at Lan- 
caster, Fairfield Co., Ohio, March 28, 1852. 
His parents, Geo. J. and Rebecca A., were de- 
vout Methodists. The father was for many years 
a Local Preacher, and used frequently to get so 
happy that he would remain in the church for 
hours praising God and holding communion with 
Him. Though he never entered the itinerancy 
he was an indefatigable worker, seldom ever 
missing a Sabbath that he did not preach or lead 
a class. 

When James was about six months old his 
mother felt like Hannah of old that it was their 
duty to "take him up to the house of the Lord," 
and dedicate the child to God in holy baptism. 



24 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

Both parents indulged the impression that he 
was to be a preacher of the gospel, and with that 
hope and belief they fully consecrated him to 
God. He was baptized by Rev. Zachariah Con- 
nel, in the old Methodist Church on the hill, at 
Lancaster, O. 

When James was three years old his parents 
moved to Missouri, where they continued to re- 
side until typhoid fever invaded the family circle 
and his sister Jennie was taken. Six weeks 
later the father died by the same disease. The 
widowed mother was left in exceeding straight- 
ened circumstances. The war of the Rebellion 
was raging with unabated fur}', and surrounded 
by elements of the struggle and evidences of 
danger, this broken family, consisting now of the 
mother, a daughter Clara, and James, fled from 
these scenes of sorrow and death, removing to 
Arcanum, Darke Co. , Ohio. An older daughter, 
Anna, having been married, remained in Mis- 
souri, where she continues to reside. 

At the time of this removal to Ohio James 
was thirteen years of age, and shortly after his 
arrival at the new home he was converted to God. 
At first he seemed to take no interest in the pro- 
tracted meeting then in progress ; but one night, 
having nothing else to do he strayed into the 
church. When his sister Clara came home that 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 25 

night she surprised the mother by saying, 
"Mother, Jimmie was converted to-night," and 
as she said this, he came in. His mother led 
him to another room and said, "Jimmie, were 
you converted to-night?" He replied, with 
characteristic positiveness, "Yes mother I was." 
She said, "My child I didin't know you were 
seeking religion." "I wasn't seeking" said 
James, "but when they called for mourners and 
a good many went up, I thought, is every body 
trying to get religion but me ? I jumped up 
and ran to the altar, i wasn't a bit ashamed. 
I just held my head up, and prayed with 
all my might, and the whole house was as 
dark as midnight, and the black clouds were all 
above. I kept looking up and praying, and 
mother, I saw as plain as I see you, an angel 
come right into that darkness, and wave his 
wings, and the clouds all rolled away, and every- 
thing was as bright and light as day, and I'm as 
happy as I can be. Don't you think that's re- 
ligion." His mother thought it was, and though 
we should hesitate to record phenomenal cases of 
conversion like this, except from the lips of a 
child, we concur in the opinion. The Sunday 
after his conversion his mother took him to Class 
with her. During the meeting she resolved to 
talk with the leader and ask him to interest him- 



26 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

self in James. She timidly approached him and 

said "Bro. , you know that Jimmie was 

converted last week. I've brought him to Class 
to-day, and as he has no father to advise or in- 
struct him, I thought I would ask you to have a 
little oversight of him." Before she had ceased 
speaking, he turned to go away, saying in a very 
careless manner "Ah, we have all got enough to 
do to take care of our own." Such indifference 
needs no comment. The only charitable con- 
struction the case will bear, is that possibly the 
brother belonged to that class of older persons 
who brought their impressions over from the 
daws when it was considered quite out of the di- 
vine order for children to be converted. An 
apprenticeship in the service of the devil, which 
employed the years of youth, used to be consid- 
ered by many as an essential factor to repentance 
and conversion at a later period. Thank God 
those days are passed ; except possibly with a 
few relics that survive the ancient opinion. 

For a time all went well with the young con- 
vert, and his zeal, and efforts at praying publicly, 
when opportunity was given, gave promise of 
future usefulness. But with few of the helps 
and opportunities usually afforded, and preach- 
ing at that place only once in two weeks, 
in spite of the influence of his godly mother, he 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 2J 

soon lost the witness of his adoption and fell into 
sin. With wild associates that led him farther 
from Christ he soon became a leader, and came 
near losing his soul. Many of these companions 
turned out badly. These surroundings were 
providentially changed by the family moving to 
Piqua, 0. , where James was thrown into associa- 
tions of a better kind. Visiting the Sabbath School 
at the Second Presbyterian Church, he happened 
to fall into a class taught by Mrs. McKinney and 
it was through her influence, and that of the class 
she taught, that a desire to be religious was awak- 
ened in his heart. His teacher, the wife of 
Hon. Frank McKinney, was a godly woman, and 
Mr. Bitler has since regarded her with the es- 
teem almost of a mother. Under these impres- 
sions and while in company with an intimate 
friend of about the same age, while they were 
standing on the pavement under the Y. M. C. 
A. rooms, it was mutually agreed that they go 
up-stairs and ask the boys to pray for them. This 
was the step that decided his heart for Christ, 
and from that hour he dates his salvation. Not 
only so, but he has ever since felt an undying 
affection for the Y. M. C. A ; and in his subse- 
quent ministry one of the prominences of his 
pulpit and personal work has been, to urge men 
to yield to God. Believing as he does, that once 



28 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 



surrendered, the heart will be open to the recep- 
tion of Christ ; if indeed an absolute yielding 
does not necessarily include' the reception of 

Christ. 

This transformation occurred while he was in 
his eighteenth year, and he very soon united with 
the Green street Methodist Episcopal Church, 
then under the Pastorate of Rev. W. H. Suther- 
land, D. D. His successor in that charge was 
Rev. W. I. Fee, under whose pastorate James 
was licensed to exhort, and subsequently directed 
to a course of study at the Ohio Wesleyan Uni- 
versity. 

He had long cherished a desire to support his 
widowed mother, but even this fond ambition 
was not to be realized. Having learned a trade, 
chiefly with this end in view, a crisis in business 
threw him out of work, and the young tin-smith, 
failing to find employment had plenty of time to 
think. 

Before his conversion he had no taste whatever 
for reading, but chancing to discover soon after 
his conversion an old dusty copy of one of Mr. 
Wesley's Sermons, lying on a shelf in the shop 
of his employers, he took it down and concluded 
to read it. It was on "Redeeming the Time." 
It fired his heart and set him to thinking. The 
conviction of a call to the ministry came slightly 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 29 

over him, but produced no special impression ex- 
cept to alarm him. An education was necessary, 
but two insuperable barriers seemed to confront 
him. The one was time, and the other money. 

He was accustomed to pray three times a day, 
and that he might be alone with God he went to 
the cellar and made it his sanctuary. There, 
surrounded by boxes and barrels and in the dark 
— fully typical of the difficulties with which he 
was surrounded — the conviction that he must 
preach was matured, and yielding to the impres- 
sion he said to the Lord : "If Thou wilt open 
the way I will follow." Shortly after this an op- 
portunity was afforded for telling his mother. 
They had just listened to an eloquent sermon, by 
a Presbyterian minister, on the subject of Mis- 
sions. When on the way home, and with great 
trepidation he said, "I believe, mother, if I had 
an education I'd like to preach the gospel." 
This announcement, made with so much embar- 
assment and revealing his inmost struggles was 
no sooner made than the rejoicing mother re- 
plied ; "Why, Jimmie ! You don't say so ! It 
is the answer of your father's prayers made from 
your birth to the day of his death, that you 
should preach the gospel." 

So saying she promised to write to his uncle 
at once, and did so that very night. The ' 'uncle" 



30 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

referred to, was the Rev. S. D. Clayton of the 
Cincinnati Conference, and though not an uncle 
he was a double cousin of Mrs. Bitler and was 
familiarly known as "uncle" by members of the 
family. 

At this time Rev. W. I. Fee was their pastor, 
and to him the mother went with her burdened 
heart. Said she, "Bro. Fee, if I only had the 
assurance that James was called of God, I would 
feel that something must be done." To this Bro. 
Fee replied, "I believe if there is a man that 
can tell w hether a man is called to preach or not, 
I can. Now you stay here this afternoon and 
visit with Mrs. Fee, and I'll just drop into the 
shop and have a talk with James, and I think I 
can tell you when I come back." 

When Bro. Fee returned, tea was waiting and 
so was this anxious mother. She met the pastor 
on the porch, and his greeting was this ; "St's~ 
tcr Bitler, James is a chosen vessel. Start him im- 
mediately. 

The next day Mrs. Bitler received an answer 
to the letter sent to Rev. Mr. Clayton. He 
said, ' 'Tell him to start to school and I will give 
him ten dollars per month for going." ' (All of 
which, during his college course, Mr. B. was en- 
abled to refund to his benefactor.) 

Thus the problem of time and money began 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 3 I 

to be solved, and the young student at once en- 
tered the High School at Piqua. 

Having but little knowledge of books it would 
have been impossible for him to maintain a stand- 
ing in this school, but through the extreme kind- 
ness of Prof. Wm. Richardson, then Principal 
of the school — but now Sup't of the Public 
Schools at Chillicothe — he was aided by extra 
help to sustain himself in the advanced classes. 
He often speaks gratefully of this kindness on 
the part of the Professor, and desires that it be 
recorded in these pages. 

Here he was prepared for the University at 
Delaware, and in the fall of 1872 his mother 
removed with the family to that city, where they 
continued to reside until he graduated in 1878. 
Hindrances were removed. Providential occur- 
rences reversed the order of support, and he was 
obliged to accumulate a debt of gratitude by de- 
pending on his mother during his collegiate 
course. The long cherished dream of being able 
to support her had not yet been realized, and he 
had made the same failure that we all make, when 
we try to get even with a good mother. 



gt 

&/ 






CHAPTER II. 

Biography Continued. 

Qualifications, Urbana Camp-meeting, A Di- 
vine Anointing, Partial Estimate of the 
Subject, First Attempts at Public Speaking, 
Licensed to Preach, First Sermon. 

During his father's lifetime, and through all 
that long period in which he was engaged in 
praying that his son might become a minister of 
the gospel, he had not seen one encouraging in- 
dication that his desire was to be gratified. But 
James, even before his conversion, in his associa- 
tion with men in various employments, was 
given to see phases of human nature that he 
has since been able to utilize in his work. 
While vacillating somewhat he was always busy. 
Serving short terms at wagon-making, coopering, 
painting, clerking, first in a grocery and then in 
a dry goods store, and finally serving an appren- 
ticeship as a tin-smith, he was thrown into com- 
pany with a variety of men and made familiar 
with their modes of life and thought. He re- 
gards the experience of these years an important 



34 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

factor of his education, since it has greatly facil- 
itated his efforts to reach the masses. Among 
the many contributions that served to prepare 
him for the work in which he has since been en- 
gaged, we must mention one prominent item ot 
experience, which next to that of his conversion, 
has served to qualify him for it. 

He was among the many, that kindled a torch 
at the first great Urbana Camp-meeting of 1872. 
The Green street church of Piqua had taken 
charge of the large boarding house at that meet- 
ing, and Bro. Bitler was among the number of 
young people assisting in that work. The doc- 
trines promulgated at that meeting were regarded, 
by most of the company, with a degree of hostil- 
ity. He was especially opposed to them, and at 
first antagonized them bitterly. But as the meet- 
ing went on from day to day, and the light in- 
creased, his prejudices vanished. One evening 
while listening to a clear, forcible presentation of 
the theme of holiness, by Rev. Wm. McDonald, 
he yielded fully to the truth, and walked right 
out into the sunlight of full salvation, without a 
struggle. This experience was something of a 
surprise to himself, for knowing that he was pos- 
sessed of a sanguine temperament, and somewhat 
emotional in the various phases of past experience, 
he had expected that when the blessing came it 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 35 

would be attended with a gush of feeling com- 
mensurate with the grace bestowed. But instead 
of the fierce dynamics of emotional ecstacy,it was 
more like the liberation of Peter, when on the 
night of his deliverance, he was so quickly 
roused from sleep, and walked out into the open 
air, that he ' 'wist not that it was true which was 
done by the angel," but, "when he was come to 
himself," he knew "of a surety" that the Lord 
had done this thing. While the Holy Spirit had 
thus worked silently He had nevertheless worked 
powerfully, and the peace and quiet of that hour 
only preceded the coming of a pentecostal man- 
ifestation an hour later. Having returned to the 
hotel, and while seated with a group of friends, 
the power of God was manifested in a remarka- 
ble manner. Among the company was one of 
the most fashionable and formal ladies of Piqua, 
a distiller's wife ; also a lady of a very positive 
character, who was the daughter of a very devout 
christian. The topic of conversation was that 
which dominated the meetings, and these ladies 
appealing to Mr. Bitler said, "Jim what do you 
think ?" He replied that he had gotten into the 
light, but it was vastly different from what he had 
imagined. It was quiet and gentle as the falling- 
dew. Learning this, the lady last named said, 
"Well, it would never do for me to be sanctified 



2)6 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

for I'd shout, and that I'll never do. " With that, 
she fell on her knees, threw up her hands, and 
began shouting at the top of her voice. Then 
followed a scene that is almost indescribable. All 
the company fell before God, and the distiller's 
wife, glittering in jewelry, was on her knees and 
crying for mercy with all her might. While this 
cloud covered them, James arose and received 
his portion ; and though the hour was late and 
the camp had become quiet for the night, it was 
very soon "noised abroad" and "the multitude 
came together, " and amid the general rejoicing 
hundreds were soon shaking hands and praising 
God. This scene was but one of the many mar- 
velous evidences of the presence of God at that 
great camp-meeting. It has since become his- 
toric, and out from its pentecostal baptisms of 
power have gone waves of influence that have 
rocked churches, camp-meetings, and conferences. 
Brother Bitler, along with others of the ' 'school 
of the prophets" was thus anointed with that in- 
dispensable qualification of the Holy Spirit for 
the work of the ministry ; and though not always 
able to distinguish its exact relation to his success 
in winning souls, as compared with the grace he 
received at conversion, it nevertheless supple- 
mented his former experience with greater faith, 
warmer zeal, and a closer intimacy with God ; 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 37 

and vain would be the attempt to unravel these 
related qualifications, so as to discover the ratio 
of the one to the other. 

His natural qualifications for the work of an 
evangelist, must not be lost sight of, in any at- 
tempt to account for the results attending his 
labors. These are by no means inconsiderable, 
and to ignore them, is not necessary to an ade- 
quate appreciation of the work of the Holy Spirit 
in bringing about results. In calling some to be 
"Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evan- 
gelists, and some Pastors and Teachers," God 
certainly had respect to their natural or mental 
qualifications, and these abounding to a greater 
or less degree -must have materially affected their 
efficiency. We believe with Dr. j. O. Peck, 
who very aptly says in an article on Revivals in 
the Christian Advocate, that "God can't bless 
nothing." The fact that God chooses "the weak 
things of the world to confound the mighty, " 
cannot be interpreted to mean that he chooses 
either weak faith, or weak-minded men, to bring 
sinners to Christ. The statement that ' 'not many 
mighty, not many noble are called," does not re- 
fer to a call to the ministry. True, mighty men, 
like stars of the first magnitude, are few in num- 
ber. But the relative number of that degree, 
that are blazing in the galaxy of the gospel min- 



38 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

istry, will compare favorably with any of the 
learned professions, and any well informed thinker 
would resent the imputation that an ordinary in- 
terpretation puts on this passage. If ignorance 
and inefficiency were qualifications for successful 
evangelism it would be strange — on such an in- 
terpretation of the many weaklings who are called 
— if the millennium had not come before this. 
The history of the past is constantly repeated, 
and among the number that yield to God and 
accept the Savior, not many that occupy places 
of prominence, or positions of power, are willing 
to leave their high seats and come down to the 
terms of salvation. But while the lofty and the 
great are proudly rejecting the offers of heaven, 
God is constantly calling men from the cradle, and 
raising up now and then a genius of his own ; 
and the ratio of the great to the small, loses noth- 
ing when contrasted with any of the intellectual 
forces that are making and moving the world. 

The sensitive jealousy for the work of the Holy 
Spirit, that affects to despise the natural abilities 
of an evangelist, utterly ignores the fact that St. 
Paul is without a peer either in the Apostolic 
College or out of it, and that his transcendent 
genius fitly qualified him for his cosmopolitan 
mission. The glory of God is not compromised 
by this admission, for God made him, and then 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 39 

by the fiery baptisms of the Holy Spirit upon 
him, and attending his ministry, he made the 
most out of him. Men of small talents may 
succeed beyond our expectations, but a mere 
emotional ninny is as far from being a special 
medium for the operation of the Holy Spirit, as 
is a rope of sand from being a good conductor of 
electricity. We once heard a man, who had 
cried and laughed under the mystic wand of John 
B. Gough for nearly two hours, say, that Gough 
was not a great orator because he could under- 
stand everything he said. A Finney, a Moody, 
a Harrison or a Bitler, without special mental en- 
dowments of a very high order would be as use- 
less to accomplish great results in the work of 
soul-saving, as a Wesley or a Wm. Taylor to or- 
ganize, manage and sustain an empire of Christian 
instrumentalities without a corresponding amount 
of constructive genius. 

It is not our purpose to furnish any comprehen- 
sive estimate of the natural abilities, or peculiar 
genius, of the subject of this volume. We leave 
that to later pens, and out of deference to his 
own request we forbear. Perhaps a post mortem 
estimate will do justice to a subject that we are 
forbidden fully to treat, and if so, the author is 
quite sure that the above suggestions will find 
abundant illustration in the subject. At all events 



4-0 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

Mr. Bitler's educational, spiritual, and natural, 
qualifications, combine in wonderful harmony 
to facilitate the success which has attended his 
labors, and both the providence and the Spirit of 
God, seem to have been displayed in preparing 
him for the work of an evangelist. 

FIRST ATTEMPTS. 

From the first he took for his models successful 
impromptu speakers, and with an ease that was 
natural he began to speak "off-hand," and was 
ready on all accasions to say what was in his 
mind, just as readily as if he had taken the pains 
to confine himself to a written discourse, or had 
memorized it from the beginning. Discarding 
both these methods, the habit of extemporizing 
became a luxury, and on going to Delaware he 
began at once to exhort, and very soon to preach 
and deliver addresses, in and about the city. 
Though variously criticised for so doing, public 
speaking had a charm for him, and the work to 
which he felt called could not be entirely deferred 
until his education at the University was com- 
pleted. He spoke to the colored people, the 
Germans, and wherever he could get an audience. 
Made appointments at country churches and 
school-houses. Was in the habit of holding mass 
meetings in the country, where in company with 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 4 1 

other students he sometimes enjoyed a "field 
day." Occasionally during vacation he visited 
camp-meetings and took part in the services. 

Whether the occasion was a camp-meeting, a 
Sunday School celebration, or a protracted meet- 
ing, he moved in an element most agreeably 
adapted to his temperament and genius when oc- 
cupying the rostrum. 

His first Sunday School speech was delivered 
in Liberty Church, near Delaware, at a S. S. In- 
stitute, under the auspices of the Y. M. C. A. 
with Prof. T. C. O'Kaneasthe manager. It was 
there that Rev. F. A. Gould, now of the North 
Ohio Conference and stationed at Cleveland, made 
his maiden speech. Besides these, other students 
that have since become efficient ministers made 
characteristic speeches. Notably : Rev. A. Gil- 
ruth, now a missionary in South India ; Rev. N. 
Luccock, now a member of the Pittsburg Con- 
ference. 

Though previously licensed to exhort — which, 
by the way, is usually interpreted by young ec- 
clesiastics to be a license to do almost anything 
in the line of preaching except to take a text — 
he was licensed to preach by the Rev. S. A. 
Keene, then Pastor of St. Paul's Church, in com- 
pany with Rev. T. A. Turner, now of the Ohio 
Conference, on the ioth day of February, 1875. 



42 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

The young men were not long in availing them- 
selves of the privilege of taking one text, instead 
of a part of a chapter as heretofore, and of the 
further luxury of pronouncing the benediction. 

Mr. Bitler's first sermon was preached at Wood 
Grove Church near Delaware, where he was then 
Superintendent of the Sunday School, and his 
text was taken from Ps. 37:3. ' 'Trust in the Lord 
and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land and 
verily thou shalt be fed." A text that was to be 
illustrated and verified in his subsequent career as 
an evangelist. 




CHAPTER III. 

Evangelistic and Regular Work. 

First Impressions, Revivals at Ostrander 
and Flint, Remarkable Incidents, Olive 
Green, Appointed to Carthage, Harrison, 
Westwood, and westward. 

Bro. Bitler's first impressions concerning the 
evangelistic field were laid in the earlier efforts of 
his ministry, and grew more intense as the indi- 
cations of a providential call became more marked. 

His first work in that direction was during his 
student life at Delaware. At a place called Os- 
trander, where there were two churches, a Meth- 
odist and a Presbyterian, both of which were idle, 
He went to work for a revival. Saloons were 
flourishing, drinking was very prevalent, and it 
was a hard field. But the Lord gave him a few 
souls, and a class was organized, and the next 
year it was taken into a circuit as an appointment. 

The next year he was invited to assist at a 
meeting being held at an appointment called Flint. 
Rev. A. R. Miller had conducted a meeting, with 
some conversions, but after laboring there about 
four weeks he was obliged to leave for another 



44 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

appointment. After the earnest solicitation of the 
people, but against the wishes of the Faculty, 
Bro. Bitler went to the meeting with the intention 
of remaining one week. But at the end of that 
week forty persons had united with the church, 
and thirty-one were at the altar seeking the Lord. 
He remained there five weeks, and at the close, 
one hundred and sixteen had been converted and 
joined the church. Taking into consideration all 
the facts, this was a marvelous meeting and de- 
serves comparison with the great revivals he has 
since held. It was a country appointment. The 
church was built in a low swampy distict where 
there were no pikes, and it was in the springtime 
when the going was miserable, and moreover 
under the shadow of a Universalist church that 
had poisoned the whole community. It was there 
he received the title of the "Young Evangelist,^' 
and his impressions were deepened concerning a 
call to that special work. 

There were many marked cases of conviction 
and conversion at that meeting, that deserve to be 
recorded. We give but two. 

Mr. B lived on a farm near the church. 

He was a large hearted generous fellow, but had 
become very much addicted to drink. So much 
so, that he had become involved financially, and 
was fast bringing sorrow to his excellent family. 



. NOISE IT ABROAD. 45 

Many of his friends had been converted but B. 
held out against all persuasion, and it was very 
difficult to get him to the church at all. After 
various fruitless atttempts to reach him, it was 
agreed among his friends and the evangelist, that 
they make him a special subject of prayer. 
While they were unitedly pleading with God for 
him, Mr. B. became very uneasy, and determined 
to leave. He went to Columbus hoping to evade 
his convictions, but darkness covered him. He 
went into a saloon in an obscure quarter, where 
he had never been before, and called for whisky. 
While talking to the bar-keeper, his voice attracted 
the attention of an acquaintance who was a prom- 
inent lawyer of the city, but very dissipated, and 
who said, "My God, B., are you here? " "This 
startled Mr. B., who replied, "Yes, I'm here, 
why do you talk that way?" "Because," said 
the lawyer, "I had an awful dream about you 
last night. I dreamed that you ought to be a 
better man, and it so worried me, that I told my 
wife, twice during the night, that I had a notion to 
get up and write to you." Mr. B. was so fully 
convinced that this was of the Lord that he re- 
plied, "They're praying for me all over the 
country up there." His friend advised him to 
go home at once, and join the church, and he sur- 
rendered on the spot, saying, "I will." He sat 



46 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

down at a card table sobbing, and using that as 
an altar of prayer, he gave his heart to God and 
found Christ. The old topers gathered round 
him, and told him to go and join the church. 
They said, ' 'That's just what we all ought to do. " 
With that, his friend followed him as he went 
to the door, and said, "B., for God's sake don't 
touch another drop." But B. replied, "The 
Lord bless you, I wouldn't touch it if the street 
was full of it, I don't want it." He started up 
the main street, laughing and crying as he went, 
passers-by staring at him as though he were crazy, 
as doubtless they supposed he was. He soon 
found his way to the house of a relative who was 
religious, and went in laughing and crying. When 
this relative met him, she said, "Why B., what's 
the matter?" He replied, "I guess I've got re- 
ligion." She said in response, "I know you 
have," and then* a scene of mutual rejoicing fol- 
lowed. From thence he went to the home of 
his brother in the same peculiar frame of mind 
and told him the same story. But the brother 
said he was drunk, and as soon as he was sober 
he would be all right. The next morning he was 
as happy and bright as before, and so anxious 
was he to get home and join the church that he 
went to the depot an hour before the time. When 
he got home he told everybody from the R. R. 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 47 

station to his house what had happened, and the 
same evening, before the preaching service began, 
he told the congregation his remarkable expe- 
rience. This was a marvelous case in many 
respects. The legal friend knew nothing of his 
state of mind, nor of the meeting in progress. 
That God should employ such remote yet pow- 
erful means to arrest another sinner simply illus- 
trates the mysterious operations of the Holy 
Spirit in answering prayer. 

Another case which occurred at that meeting 
illustrates the same marvelous operations of the 
Holy Spirit in convicting and arresting an obdu- 
rate sinner. Jno. McR was an adept with the 

violin, and fiddled for the dancing fraternity in 
all that region. He belonged to a family that 
were great dancers, and could have an independ- 
ent dance at home, or load up a two horse wagon 
and contribute a whole dance, music and all, to 
any gathering in the neighborhood. The Lord 
got into the family and spoiled things for his pur- 
pose. His father, mother, brothers, sisters, neph- 
ews and neices — in short, the whole family were 
converted, and John was left alone. He was not 
married, or doubtless his wife would have been 
among the converts. Poor John ! what was he 
to do? He cursed the church, the preacher, and 
all his relatives, and he was so fearful that he 



48 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

might get caught himself, that he stayed away 
from the church almost altogether. The Spirit 
took hold of him however, and such was the depth 
of his conviction, that he would frequently wake 
up in the night and find himself praying. Then 
he would turn over and curse awhile, as if to off- 
set the prayer. His was one of the cases, that 
remind us of instances in the Scriptures, where 
the devils rent and tore the men they possessed 
just before they were compelled to depart. One 
night he secured a pint of whisky and went to 
a dance at some place near Columbus, and spent 
the night in revelry. The next evening it was 
raining and snowing, one of the most disagreeable 
nights that could well be imagined ; such a night 
as would spoil anything but a revival. John con- 
cluded that the people would be kept away, and 
that there wouldn't be much interest, if any, and 
he thought it would be perfectly safe for him to 
venture, and so went to the meeting. 

At that meeting Mr. B above referred to, 

gave his testimony, and along with others wit- 
nessed to the saving power of God. Presently 
a man rose up from the back seat and said, "I'm 
not a Christian, but I want you to pray for me." 

That man was John McR . He joined the 

church that night, and the next morning in a 
speaking meeting he was converted. It is related 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 49 

of him that when the collection was being taken 
he said, "boys, here goes the fiddler's money in 
the preacher's basket," so that he at once gave 
evidence of that sort of genuine conversion that 
touches the pocket. Nine years later as Bro. 
Bitler was passing along the street at Columbus, 
he saw a man in a wagon that seemed to wear a 
familiar look. As the evangelist approached his 
smiling face he said to him, "Is thisjno. McR ?" 
— and so it proved. When he asked him if he 
was on the road to heaven he said, "Yes, and 
so is my wife." That meeting at Flint had not 
only reached his relatives, but at the same time 
secured the conversion of the lady that afterward 
became his wife, and thus had completely wrecked 
the old associations and created things anew. 
Incidents peculiarly interesting characterized that 
revival, and at its close it was found that the 
church was altogether too small for the wants of 
the increased family, so one end of the structure 
was taken out and an addition built to it. There 
it stands to this day a monument of that marvel- 
ous revival. Closing his labors here, Bro. Bitler 
consented to spend some time in a meeting at 
Westerville, where some fruit was gathered. 
Returning again to Delaware he was glad to rest 
and spend the summer vacation recuperating. 
His labors had been arduous and exhausting, but 



50 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

with relaxation and rest he was ready for work 
again. 

During his Senior year he supplied Olive Green, 
a sort of practicing Mecca, where quite a number 
of young men that have since become useful 
ministers began their itinerant career. Notably, 
Rev. S. A. Keene ; Rev. J.J. Henry — who was 
afterward translated at the close of a great revi- 
val in Bucyrus ; Rev. F. A. Gould of the North 
Ohio Conference, and Rev. S. D. Hutsinpillar, 
now stationed at Third Avenue, Columbus. 

Graduating in 1878, he joined the Cincinnati 
Conference in the fall of that year. The Con- 
ference met at Green street church, Piqua, O., 
his former home, so that coming back to the 
place of beginning he was glad to renew former 
associations and start afresh on his mission. 

His first appointment was Cartilage, just out 
of the city of Cincinnati. At the close of this 
year, September 7, 1879, at tne Conference held 
at Urbana, O., he was ordained Deacon by 
Bishop Simpson. The next year he was sent 
to Harrison, where on July I, 1880, he mar- 
ried Miss Mina, daughter of Dr. M. L. and Susan 
J. Thomas. Harrison was a weak charge, able 
only to.support a single man, and this step ne- 
cessitated a change. So the next year he was 
appointed to Westwood. In addition to the main 



NOISE IT ABROAD. s • 5 1 

charge at Westwood was a small appointment 
three miles out called Dent. The church at the 
latter place had almost died out, but Bro. Bitler 
thought he saw a chance to do some evangelistic 
work there, and went to work accordingly. The 
result was more than one hundred conversions, 
and to-day it is one of the strongest country 
charges in all that region. 

At the close of his second year at Westwood 
he was ordained Elder, September 10, 1882, at 
Dayton, O., by Bishop Bowman. 

At his own request, and by the consent of 
his Presiding Elder, he left this appointment at 
the end of two years and a half, and at the next 
Conference was recorded as "Missionary to Da- 
kota." 




CHAPTER IV. 

Missionary to Dakota. 

Chamberlain - . Sickness. Death. Final Aban- 
donment of the Field. No more "Plans." 
Home again. Revivals at Third Street, 
Columbus; and Main Street, Chillicothe. 

In the spring of 1883 Brother Bitler went to 
Dakota as a Missionary, under the impression 
that the great wild West, so vast in resources, 
and yet so illy supplied with Christian ministers 
was the very field for him. 

In correspondence with the Superintendent of 
the Mission he was informed that the field he de- 
sired was open to him. He was directed to go 
to Chamberlain, an ambitious town that was rap- 
idly rising, and where they would pay the right 
man a salary of one thousand dollars. 

This was something definite and relieved all 
fears of being set down with a wife and child in 
the barrenness of the wild prairies. 

Believing that providence indicated the step, 
his heart sent him, and though accredited and 
indorsed by the church, he paid his own travel- 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 53 

ing expenses, and was soon en route for the great 
northwest. 

All the romance of this venture was soon to 
be dissipated. Locating at Chamberlain he found 
that most of the items that were to be forthcom- 
ing if the " right man " went, were in an unde- 
veloped state or wholly imaginary. The town 
was only about two years old and contained 
about one thousand inhabitants. There was no 
church edifice, no parsonage ; just twelve mem- 
bers of the church, and they too poor to pay a 
hundred dollars. But the " missionary " was not 
to be deterred. His heroic blood was stirred. 
He found himself in the midst of a wide-awake 
community many of whom wore a rough ex- 
terior, but beneath all this he soon found a de- 
gree of refinement that would grace any latitude 
of civilization. It was the front of that great ad- 
vancing wave that scattered warm blood and 
active brains all through the northwest. He 
purchased a lot, built a house, and sent for his 
wife, who with their little daughter Grace, soon 
joined him in the new field. But the Dakota en- 
terprise was destined to be a series of disappoint- 
ments. His wife was taken sick soon after and 
for weeks lay at the threshold of death. In her 
enfeebled condition she was placed on a feather 
bed and brought back to Ohio. But Brother 



54 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

Bitler was not to be defeated; so leaving her at 
home he returned to Dakota the second time. 
Three weeks later he attended the Conference at 
Huron, and while there he received a telegram 
that the baby, born in Dakota, was dead. He 
returned at once to Ohio to comfort his sorrow- 
ing wife and look on the grave of his dead child. 
But the mission was not to be relinquished. His 
wife meanwhile regained sufficient strength to re- 
turn with him, and once more he went back to 
Dakota. He was so bent on holding the field 
that he determined to stay in spite of everything 
— sickness, poverty and death, not excepted. 

But at last he was obliged to succumb to the 
inevitable lot that seemed to follow him. His 
wife grew worse, and becoming a helpless invalid, 
it was soon apparent that she could never recover 
in the climate of Dakota. So with a heavy heart 
he relinquished his cherished scheme and once 
more turned his face to Ohio. 

The mission was not altogether fruitless as we 
shall see in another place, but it was a costly ap- 
pointment to Brother Bitler, and must ever re- 
main associated in his memory with some of the 
saddest pages of the past. En route for home with 
a heavy heart, under the conviction that he had 
made a mistake, and that possibly the scheme 
was not of God, but of himself, he fervently- 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 55 

said il P 11 never have another plan." This reso- 
lution left him empty handed, but with a strong 
reliance on the providence of God to furnish all 
his future patterns. Time and eternity may re- 
veal the Dakota mission a Divine providence, 
even though the sequel seemed so desolate when 
he returned. His mother resided at Columbus 
and he came directly to her home. But he was 
not long to be idle, for, the second day after land- 
ing at Columbus he met Rev. A. B. Riker, then 
stationed at Third Street charge, who informed 
him that he was going to begin a series of meet- 
ings with a "watch-night" service, and invited 
him to join in the work by getting "under the 
other end of the yoke." In response to this he 
went, and soon becoming enthused, these brethren 
jointly laid their plans for a great work. God 
was with them and the revival began. Soon the 
daily papers began to note the interest awakened 
and spoke of Brother Bitler as an evangelist from 
the Cincinnati Conference. He remained with 
Brother Riker eight weeks, and with the large 
audience room nightly crowded and hundreds 
going away for want of room, the work went on 
grandly, until more than two hundred souls were 
converted. 

Soon as this work began to be noised abroad 
Brother Bitler was beseiged with invitations to 



56 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

assist other brethren in revival work, and among 
them Rev. T. A. Turner, an old College friend, 
then stationed at Main Street, Chillicothe. Ac- 
cepting this call he joined Brother Turner without 
losing a day. The Pastor had spent seven weeks 
holding the meetings, with success, and pre- 
paring the way for what was to come. The work 
broke out afresh at once. On the first Sabbath 
afternoon when an opportunity was given, a few 
rose immediately for prayers, then others follow- 
ed, until the whole congregation stood up. When 
the altar was presented, every one in the house 
came to it or as near to it as they could get. It 
was a marvelous meeting. Sobs and pleas for 
mercy soon gave way to shouts of rejoicing, and 
before the service closed thirteen persons pro- 
fessed conversion. Some of the older members 
who had witnessed many meetings of power in 
the past, testified that they had never seen any 
to compare with that one. In anticipation 
of the great work that followed, the pastor's faith, 
which called for two hundred souls, was marvel- 
ous in the eyes of the people ; but the number 
finally reached over four hundred. 

Brother Bitler had expected to stay two weeks 
at Main Street but he remained six weeks, and 
the revival was without a parallel in the history 
of Chillicothe Methodism, unless we except one 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 57 

that was held there forty years before, under the 
labors of Rev. John Miley, D.D., now of Drew 
Theological Seminary. 

A brief review of Brother Bitler's career, as 
recorded in the foregoing pages, if degrees of 
success are to be taken as indications of Provi- 
dence, would certainly lead any practical thinker 
to the conclusion that his is the evangelistic field. 
In every instance when he has stepped aside from 
the regular work and made revivals a specialty 
he has been greatly blessed of God and crowned 
with success. 




CHAPTER V. 

Fishing on the Banks of the Missouri. 

Charles H. Gilmore. 

The Converted Comedian in a New Role. 

Of Brother Bitler's missionary labors in Dakota 
we said but little in the previous chapter. 
Through the gloom that covers his Dakota ex- 
perience, at least one star shines. The mission 
was not a failure, and the instance here given is 
enough to vindicate his choice of that field if 
nothing else had come of it. In looking after 
the lost sheep of that wilderness, he visited a 
shanty where he found a lady at the very difficult 
task of trying to do two things at once, viz : 
rocking the baby and ironing at the same time. 
In reply to his inquiries she said that she was a 
Christian and a Methodist. This agreeable sur- 
prise led him to ask about her husband, whom she 
said was far from being a christian, and she 
seemed to be greatly troubled about his soul. 
His name was Gilmore. He was the boatman, 
and it was his business to ferry persons across the 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 59 

river to a place called the "Brule Agency," 
about five miles below Chamberlain. His pass- 
engers were landed on the other shore and then 
returning with his skiff he was obliged to recross 
the river and tow it back to the village, as the 
swiftness of the current made it difficult to row 
the boat against the stream. Mr. G. presented 
a very rough exterior, and with coarse clothing, 
long hair, shaggy beard, clad in over-alls and with 
a rope — not exactly around his neck — but over 
his shoulder tugging away at his boat, Mr. 
Bitler had once met him on the banks ol the river. 
Ever since the time that Peter said I go a fishing, 
and the disciples said we also go with thee, almost 
the whole apostolic succession have had a very 
strong inclination to chime in with these disciples. 
What preacher has never gone a fishing ? As a 
class they seem to be as fond of fish as of fowl (?) 
Mr. Bitler's first view of Gilmore was had while 
spending a leisure hour in this sort of recreation 
on the banks of the Missouri river. With this 
casual meeting in mind, he was very much sur- 
prised when Mrs. G. happened to remark that 
her husband was very fond of reading, and it was 
this newly discovered fact that he intended to use 
in taking Gilmore from the slough of sin. So 
the next time he met Mr. G. he expressed his 
agreeable surprise that he was fond of books and 



60 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

offered him the use of his library. Mr. G. further 
enlightened the preacher by saying that he had a 
"sheep-skin" — meaning a diploma — and more- 
over, that he had been a short-hand reporter ; had 
reported for the District Court of Iowa, receiving 
eight dollars per day, and also for a time had been 
a reporter for certain newspapers in Chicago. He 
excused his present occupation on the ground that 
he had weak lungs and came to Dakota and began 
to row a boat for the physical benefit he might de- 
rive from it. This ingenious statement seemed 
very plausible, but it was not the truth. The 
fact was that he was in Dakota just as he had been 
in almost every State and Territory in the Union 
before ; running away from God. 

He had traveled through all the New England 
States except Maine, visited every other Territory 
except Oregon and Washington Territory ; gone 
to Mexico and Central America, and once shipped 
for Australia, in the desperate endeavor to divert 
his convictions of duty. But with various ex- 
periences in steamboating, railroading, painting, 
surveying, reporting, acting and boating, the 
early impressions of duty haunted his life. 
Once shipwrecked, once disabled so that the loss 
of his voice threw him from the stage, he had gone 
to Dakota to start a saloon and cover up the last 
spark of this expiring flame. 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 6 1 

When but a lad he had dreamed that he was at 
the bar of God and saw the right and left hand 
throng awarded with the allotments of destiny, 
and that an angel had conveyed him back to his 
bed with the injunction that he should tell what he 
had seen. 

This so weighed upon his mind that he told his 
mother, and she took him to her closet and prayed 
very earnestly that God might make his duty 
plain, and help him to do it. While there on his 
knees the thought that he was called to preach 
dawned upon him and he inwardly vowed that he 
would never do it. Soon after this he ran away from 
home, began a series of wanderings above describ- 
ed. The force of his mother's prayers seemed to fol- 
low him and on several occasions the dream of his 
boyhood was repeated; but in the face of all 
this, feeling that he could not be converted unless 
he would consent to preach, he vowed that he 
would not be converted, and that if he went to hell 
he would abide by the consequences. Another 
chief factor of his life was a praying wife. She never 
deserted him, and in spite of his varied experi- 
ences he had always been true to his marriage 
vow, and he loved her intensely and respected 
her piety with veneration. 

When he went to Dakota with the saloon idea 
in mind she little dreamed of his intentions. But 



62 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

on making the discovery, all her heroism came 
to the front, and though she had clung to him 
with the fondness of despair, this was too much, 
and she told him that she did not marry a saloon- 
keeper, that she would not live with one, and 
that if he went into that business they were 
henceforth not one but two. This very decided 
stand soon put an end to the project, as he 
thought more of his wife than of a saloon. 
Later adventures need not be recited, except 
that his appetite for intoxicating liquors had led 
his wife to expostulate with him for frequenting 
the saloon, and further to say that if he would 
drink, to keep it in the house and drink it at 
home. This he did and for some time kept a 
five gallon cask in the cellar. One day, while 
his wife had gone to church and he was at home 
taking care of the baby, he took the child in 
his arm and the lamp in his hand and went into 
the cellar for some whisky, and the child unac- 
customed to these dark surroundings quit cry- 
ing and its very stillness attracted his attention. 
Looking into the lace of the little one the thought 
came to his mind "what if I knew that my little 
boy should ever become such a man as I am." 
The possibility of such a fate was too horrible 
to endure, and seizing an ax that had been left 
in the cellar, he blazed away at the cask and 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 63 

knocked in the head, and with the contents run- 
ning on the floor he took up the lamp and child 
and ret urned to the room with the resolution to 
drink no more. Though afterward tempted he 
kept this resolution faithfully. So that even be- 
fore the evangelist met him the Spirit of God 
had began the work of reformation. His sub- 
sequent deliverance from the desire for intoxi- 
cants is to be dated from his conversion. When 
Mr. Bitler proffered him the use of books he 
very thankfully accepted the kindness and soon 
gave proof of the fact that he was an omniver- 
ous reader. 

He never went to church and when Mr. Bit- 
ler on one occasion urged him to go with him 
he replied : 

"Elder, you know I never go to church, and 
you'll have to excuse me. I'll take care of the 
baby and let my wife go." 

To this they both objected, and after some 
persuasion Gilmore said: 

"Go ahead Elder, and I'll be down after 
while," 

When the service was about half through 
Gilmore came in and surprised the preacher by 
the fact that he sang as if he was used to it. His 
surprise was greater when on retiring from the 
room he found Gilmore waiting for him, and on 
the way home he said : 



64 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

"Mr. Bitler, do you believe that a man is ever 
called to do anything?" 

"What do you mean, said Bitler, called to 
preach?' ' 

"Yes." 

"I certainly do, he replied, or I wouldn't be 
out here." 

"So do I," said Gilmore, "or I wouldn't be 
out here." 

This led the way to a full disclosure of much 
that is recited above, and after accepting an in- 
vitation to come in, and both had gone into the 
house, as Gilmore stood there in the presence of 
his wife who alone knew the secret of the past, 
Mr. Bitler said: 

"Gilmore, you know you ought to be a Chris- 
tian. You must surrender now. This is the 
supreme moment of your life, and I shall not 
leave here till you give your heart to God." 

This was ten o'clock Saturday night, and Gil- 
more afterward said that on hearing that, he 
thought he had a boarder. But throwing his 
arm about his neck and crying upon his breast, 
Mr. Bitler plead with him to say "yes." 

"Say yes, and I'll have a word of prayer." 

Gilmore replied : "Pray anyhow," 

And they did pray. The preacher plead as 
never before ; the wife prayed, and Mr. Bitler 
said to Gilmore : "Are you praying?" 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 6$ 

''Yes. Pray on." 

Again and again he asked: "Do you yield 
now? 

But the answer came : "No, but pray on." 
Finally Gilmore cried out in desperation : 

"By God ," and pausing just there, it 

seemed like profanity, but at last he cried out : 
"By God's help, I'll be a better man !" 
The point was yielded. The surrender was 
complete, the prodigal was forgiven, and the 
next moment in the arms of his faithful wife both 
were rejoicing in the love of God. 

They sang, "Praise God from whom all bless- 
ings flow," and Mr.-Bitler went home. 

A family altar was erected, and at the week 
day meeting that followed, Gilmore told of his 
conversion to God. The following Sunday night, 
by Mr. Bitler's appointment, Gilmore was an- 
nounced to speak in the Opera House. But on 
the Friday before the time appointed his aged 
father, and mother who had not seen him for a 
long time, very unexpectedly came to see him, 
and when he told his mother of the salvation he 
had found, the glad tidings nearly overcame her. 
Religion had worked a transformation, and when 
Sunday night came, with newly shaven face, 
and hair cut, and dressed in a new suit which his 
father had brought with him as a present for his 



66 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

son, he looked like a gentleman. But best of 
all, there sat the father and mother in that au- 
dience to hear the story from the lips of their 
wandering boy. He began by saying that he 
little thought in all the past that he should ever 
stand where he stood that night and speak for 
Christ in an Opera House. His travels in many 
lands and his efforts to escape conscience and 
duty were recited. He said that he had tried to 
bean infidel, but added "I could never silence 
the voice in my soul." In concluding he said: 

"If there were no future, the smile on my old 
mother's face when she heard the story of my 
conversion, would more than repay me for the 
consecration I have made. " 

Shortly after this Mr. Bitler was compelled to 
return to Ohio. More than a year had elapsed 
and he knew nothing more of Gilmore. While 
engaged in a revival at Corning, Ohio, he 
chanced to narrate these facts to Rev. Benjamin 
Green, then in charge of the church at that place, 
and suggested that Gilmore, who could handle a 
banjo to perfection, might, if he was in one of our 
large cities, sing up a crowd of thousands and 
preach the gospel to vast multitudes of people. 
Bro. Green said, send for him. But now came 
the serious and awful question that confronts 
every young convert, viz. : has he been faithful 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 67 

to the heavenly calling? Bro. Green had faith 
in him and said : 

"Write and tell him to come. I'll pay his ex- 
penses from Dakota." 

The letter was sent and an answer written the 
day it was received. Gilmore said : 

' 'Tell Mr. Green to send the money, I will re- 
ceive it as a loan, and I will be with you as 
soon as the will of God and steam will bring 
me." 

The next day after sending this letter, Gilmore 
received one from the National Tube Works con- 
taining two Palace Car tickets to New Orleans 
and the request that he take his banjo and thus 
represent that firm at the Exposition. The 
compensation was to be three dollars and a half 
per day from date of his leaving until his return 
to Dakota. 

This offer had many attractions, but none equal 
to the sense of a divine mission, so returning the 
tickets he politely declined the offer, and turned 
his face to Ohio. 

On reaching his mother's home in Iowa he 
tarried a short time, and taking both her advice, 
and his own view of propriety, he hung the 
banjo up on the wall in his mother's kitchen and 
pursued his journey. 

Arriving at Corning, he found that Mr. Bitler 



68 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

had gone to Gallipolis. Weary from travel and 
loss of sleep, with no time or opportunity to 
allay his hunger, he was taken to the church 
where it was expected that he would preach. 
Here was a dilemma. He had never been in a 
revival. He had never preached. To begin 
where Bitler left oft, and conduct a series of meet- 
ings was out of the question. It was a dreary, 
rainy night, and everything contributed to his 
discomfiture. He was in for it, and there was 
no train out of Corning that night. Tempted 
to retreat he remembered the text that ' 'No 
man having put his hand to the plow and looking 
back is fit for the kingdom of God." This 
fixed his purpose to do the best he could and he 
went at it. During his brief- stay here the Lord 
gave him some seals to his ministry. Tramping 
through the mud he began by personal labor to 
pursuade men, and was happy in seeing some 
fruit. Visiting the mines he saw souls converted 
to God under ground. From Corning he went 

to Rehobeth , from there to Gallipolis, 

where he joined Brother Bitler in that marvel- 
ous revival, and spent a week, doing effective 
service and learning something about revival 
methods. Accepting an invitation to go to 
Huntington, West Virginia, he began a series 
of meetings under difficulties and embarass- 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 69 

ments that very soon discovered themselves, 
both in the church and out of it. But implicit 
faith in God, and untiring zeal both in the pul- 
pit and among the people, soon began to be re- 
warded with fruit. Thirty-eight church letters 
were gathered in and one hundred and sixty-one 
professed conversion. Since he left Huntington 
the meeting has continued and the whole num- 
ber now reported is two hundred and fifty. Bro. 
Gilmore came to Circleville by invitation during 
our great revival, and by his testimony and labors 
gave proof of his ministry by contributing to its 
results. 

A previous account of his surroundings and 
tragic conversion had led us to expect that his 
personal appearance and general demeanor would 
not be very commendable to refined tastes. In 
this we were agreeably disappointed. Strange 
to say he seemed a perfect gentleman of some 
refinement, and his deliberation and ease in pub- 
lic address, together with his modest and manly 
bearing in smaller circles, made us almost to feel 
like apologizing for our previous impressions. 

From Circleville he went to Cuyahoga Falls to 
assist the Pastor, Rev. J. R. Keys. The meet- 
ing resulted in fifty conversions and forty-three 
accessions to the church. In response to a let- 
ter addressed to Bro. Keys, he writes : 



JO NOISE IT ABROAD. 

"Bro. Gilmore did good work in this place. 
Its value cannot be measured by the number of 
conversions and accessions. Bro. G. went away 
with the good will of all, both saints and sin- 
ners, so far as I know." 

This testimony was not written with a view 
to its publication, but as a private letter to the 
author, but we append it as an indication that 
the Actor is on the right Stage and in the right 
role. 




CHAPTER VI. 

Weighing Anchor. 

Supplying "Wesley Chapel'' — Evangelistic Im- 
pressions — Transferred to the Ohio Confer- 
ence — The Climax of Decision — A Location 
Granted. 

While at Main Street, Chillicothe, Bro. Bitler 
received an invitation from the Presiding Elder of 
the Columbus District to supply an unexpired 
pastorate at Wesley Chapel. This invitation was 
extended at the unanimous request of the 
Official Board. The former Pastor, Rev. H. C 
Sexton having been tranferred to the Troy, a 
Spring Conference, the charge was left to be 
supplied until the next session of the Ohio Confer- 
ence which met in September. Bro. Bitler ac- 
cepted the invitation, and entering at once upon 
the duties of a Pastor, he very soon became al- 
most as much engrossed as during the work of 
revival. Besides preaching, visiting, and looking 
after the details of the regular work, he gave 
some time to extra evangelistic labor at the Ohio 
Conference Camp Meeting. It was during his 



72 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

brief pastorate of five months at Wesley Chapel 
that a series of mental struggles concerning his 
future work was carried on, that only culmina- 
ted with the close of the year. The location of 
that church on High street, in the very business 
heart of the city, gave it a familiar prominence 
that few others enjoyed ; and though its long 
and useful history was crowded with the splendid 
triumphs of the Gospel within its walls, yet to 
Bro. Bitler's stirring spirit, the tramping multi- 
tudes that filed by each day and night appealed 
for radical evangelistic methods other than those 
usually employed. Surveying the whole field 
he was profoundly impressed with the fact that 
the churches were not reaching the masses, and 
his heart yearned for some method of attract- 
ing their attention and pressing upon them the 
privileges and claims of the Gospel. The meas- 
ure of success that has since attended his efforts 
in that direction will appear as we proceed, but 
it is enough to say in this place that these im- 
pressions led him, more than ever before, to con- 
clude that his usefulness might be greatly aug- 
mented if he were wholly given to the evangel- 
istic work. When the Cincinnati Conference 
met he had not yet fully decided the question 
of duty, and the measure of uncertainty that still 
overshadowed his mind, led him to wish that the 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 73 

time might be extended for a final solution of the 
problem. 

His recent work having been done in the 
bounds of the Ohio Conference, which was to 
hold its session three weeks later, he requested 
a transfer to that Conference. The question of 
Conference relation weighed but little in that re- 
quest. The transfer gave more time to think 
and pray, and thus settle the real question which 
was between the regular or the evangelistic work. 

In the interim between the sessions of the 
Cincinnati and Ohio Conferences the burden be- 
came more and more pressing, but a solution of 
the great problem was soon to be reached. Tak- 
ing advice from all sources only perplexed it, as 
all sorts of advice was freely tendered, and though 
thankfully received, it was only plain that some- 
body was very greatly mistaken. Mr. Bitler's 
inclination in no way effected the issue, for the 
reason that he was not inclined either way, ex- 
cept to do the will of God, and that was the very 
question to be solved. Men of age and experi- 
ence, representing a conservative element in the 
Conference, expressed very grave doubts as to 
the wisdom of what seemed to them to be an 
erratic course. Others whose judgment was 
equally respected, and representing the more 
radical and aggressive, and perhaps the more 



74 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

evangelistic, were equally confident that an ec- 
centric orbit was as safe, and perhaps the more 
direct way to reach and save the people. 

The various phases in which evangelistic work, 
in its relation to the regular Pastorate, had been 
viewed, was bound to come to the front in open con- 
ference. It may interest the reader to know that 
two very marked and distinct views are held by 
the ministry on the subject of evangelists. It 
would be a gross misrepresentation of the truth 
to intimate that even a small minority of the 
Methodist ministry are opposed to the revivals. 
Such is not the case ; but some difference of 
opinion prevails with reference to the utility of 
evangelists, other than, and distinct from, the 
regular pastorate. One class looking with a 
good degree of solicitude upon the tendency to- 
ward an irregular ministry, and another rejoicing 
in the multiplication of agencies, whether regu- 
lar or not. It cannot be overlooked, that in 
some cases, irregularities and unfortunate occur- 
rences have attended the efforts of unauthorized 
evangelists. A class of men whose eccentrici- 
ties of doctrine and method have blighted the 
healthy growth of religious life. The field is 
large, and there is nothing to prevent any self- 
constituted champion of vagaries and error to 
set up his banners and kindle a wild fire in the 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 75 

name of Christianity. No ecclesiastical tribunal 
holds him responsible, and none can call him to 
account. This fact admitted, has had a tendency 
to beget very diverse opinions. It has to some 
extent thrown a shadow, very unjustly we think, 
upon the evangelists as a class ; and there are 
not wanting men in the regular pastorate, who 
taking an indiscriminate view freely avow their 
animosity toward evangelists. Others again, re- 
garding the abuse as a mere exception, are fer- 
vently in favor of and ready discriminately to 
defend them. It may be remarked however, that 
in the Methodist Episcopal Church there has been 
a growing tendency toward a recognition of these 
abuses, and a demand for some adequate protec- 
tion against independent and self-constituted 
evangelists. This prevailing sentiment has led 
many to seek a remedy that would protect the 
church, at least, and do no violence to the re- 
vival spirit. 

But this very agreement has been the ground 
prior of a difference that showed itself just 
to the last General Conference. A very 
large representation of the ministry of the more 
aggressive type, regarding the work of special 
evangelists as of divine order and appointment, 
sought to enlist the General Conference in a 
plan by which special evangelists might be ap- 



y6 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

pointed from year to year as are regular pastors, 
thus endorsing their work, and at the same time 
rendering them amenable to an Annual Confer- 
ence. In this way it was supposed that the 
spirit of evangelism might be utilized, the field 
of aggressiveness enlarged, the evangelist accred- 
ited and endorsed, and the church protected 
from irregular and irresponsible men. On the 
other hand, all that is urged against evangelists as 
a class was urged against any step looking to- 
ward an innovation in favor of irregular work. 
The whole controversy seems still to slumber. 
It does not appear to have been brought to a 
definite issue at the General Conference. 

Whatever the future may have in store, we 
only know that this question of polity is a rest- 
less one, and at the last session of the Ohio An- 
nual Conference, representatives of the various 
views above indicated, were ready to interpret 
Bro. Bitler's attitude concerning his proposed 
step, in the light of his own convictions on the 
general subject. Exactly at twelve o'clock on 
Monday, September 29, it was announced that 
Bro. J. S. Bitler requested a location, and it was 
further stated that this request was made that he 
might enter the evangelistic work. 

The request for a location was in no way extra- 
ordinary, but the purpose made known, brought 



NOISE IT ABROAD. J J 

several questions to the front. The same request 
had been granted in another case during the ses- 
sion, and in this instance, if it had been made on 
the ground of a simple desire to retire from the 
regular work from inadaptability, or want of 
success, or bodily affliction, it would doubtless 
have been accepted as a judicious way to let the 
brother down easy. But to spoil a preacher 
that gave promise of usefulness in the regular 
pastorate for the sake of a venture, was to many 
a very injudicious step, hence it was opposed. 
He had not asked to be appointed Conference 
Evangelist, but rather to return to the local ranks, 
expecting and intending that local, with him, was 
to refer to the broadest field he could find. The 
Bishop took occasion to canvas the subject of 
evangelistic appointment at some length, and 
though disavowing any intention to reflect unfa- 
vorable upon Bro. Bitler's case, it cannot be de- 
nied that his remarks were open to such an in- 
terpretation by the more conservative element, 
and they were Avell prepared to antagonize the 
request on the ground of its unwisdom. One 
brother said very emphatically, "I know Bro. 
Bitler, and I know that he is mistaken." This 
was an unexpected shaft ; and if human agency 
could add anything to the almost intolerable cross 
that was resting upon him by having so recently 



78 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

decided to take that step, it was made more 
heavy by such a declaration and others of a sim- 
ilar character from the same source, 

Bro. Bitler was summoned to appear at the 
bar of the Conference, and in response to in- 
quiries, he replied that his request had not been 
made without a long and earnest struggle ; that 
it was the heaviest cross he had ever been obliged 
to take up, but that the conviction of duty had 
been forced upon him that he must enter the 
evangelistic field, which he felt willing to do for 
the glory of God. 

Rev. Dr. , discovering in these re- 
marks a degree of deference to the wisdom of 
the Conference, asked the direct question whether 
or not he would be willing to abide by the de- 
cision of the Conference. Bro. Bitler replied 
that he would cheerfully do so, for he would 
gladly be relieved of the responsibility of that 
decision, if the Conference was willing to assume 
it. 

The writer at this point enquired of Bro. Bitler 
whether he was willing to allow that body to de- 
cide a question of conscience for him. To this 
he replied that he was willing to be relieved from 
deciding a question of so great importance, and 
if the Conference chose to assume it he would 
feel relieved from the obligation and consider it 



NOISE IT ABROAD. JQ 

a Providential indication. A Presiding Elder 
rose and ironically offered the brother a big cir- 
cuit as a wide field for his evangelical genius. 
At this point Rev. John T. Miller came to the 
rescue as his Presiding Elder, and said ; ■' Broth- 
er Bitler is not hunting a place to preach. Be it 
known to this Conference that a committee from 
, Wesley Chapel waited on him and invited him 
to become their Pastor for the ensuing year, and 
moreover, there are plenty of charges that would 
be glad to have him as Pastor." The Bishop 
said there was nothing against him in the Cin- 
cinnati Conference, and if he had remained, a 
good appointment would have been given him. 
One brother wanted to know where he was to 
get his support — and, perhaps it would have 
been a pleasure to Bro. Bitler, if just at that 
time, he could have given the desired information. 

Another suggested that he would get in the 
way of the preachers — but since we have no re- 
cord of any preacher that has since been run 
over or jostled out of his pastorate, we may sup- 
pose that said brother was prematurely alarmed. 

Rev, S. A. Keene, Presiding Elder of the 
Lancaster District, and under whose pastorate at 
St. Paul's, Delaware, Bro. Bitler had been licensed 
to preach, was ready with an enthusiastic endorse- 
ment of the man and the proposed departure. 



8o NOISE IT ABROAD. 

He referred to his work at Third street church, 
Columbus ; and at Main street, Chillicothe ; and 
said, that these revivals had become historic ; 
and moreover, ended with the prophecy, that he 
verily believed that Bro. Bitler in the evangelistic 
field would see thousands converted to God. 

When the question came to a vote of the Con- 
ference it was carried by a very large majority, 
so much so, that the most sanguine friends of 
the evangelistic idea construed it as not only a 
vindication of Bro. Bitler's course, but an en- 
dorsement of special evangelistic work itself. 

With absolute unity on the subject of revivals, 
their utility and necessity, the question of polity 
that relates to special evangelists, other than the 
regularly stationed ministry, has in it some ele- 
ments that give rise to a difference of sentiment 
among us ; but is it not clearly manifest in the 
multiplicity of agencies that are increasing with 
every year, that God Himself is preparing an 
ultimate solution that will of necessity identify 
the church more fully with an itinerancy that com- 
bines the advantages of the regular pastorate with 
what is now known as the evangelistic work? We 
cannot refrain from making the suggestion, that 
many conservative ministers, who are doing the 
regular work of pastors with a precision and in- 
dustry that moves as orderly as well poised ma- 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 8 I 

chinery, are not calculated to secure and conduct 
revivals. Sometimes with abilities that adorn 
the pulpit, and pastoral gifts that superintend all 
the details of church work, they not only fail to 
secure much revival fruit, but their natural con- 
servatism of taste and temperament leads them 
to discredit and reject the help of an evangelist. 
These are the very men that need such help. 
With the coming of a fiery spirit, old methods 
are laid aside, formalism is melted, and perfunc- 
tory ecclesiasticism is jostled out of the pulpit. 
The field is swept by a storm that purifies the 
musty air, waters the earth, and leaves new ma- 
terial in its track, out of which the patient pastor 
may build and beautify to his heart's content. 
People who are running off after ritualism are on 
the wrong track. We have plenty of form ; we 
want more fire. Many a man could mould, if 
only the material were melted ; and if after em- 
ploying the lense of old forms and methods we 
have failed to secure a revival, we should welcome 
the zig zag of an irregular bolt of lightning. 



^^k^^^ 



CHAPTER VII. 



The J 'indication. 

Revival at Corning— Obstacles— Political Ex- 
citement—Rev. Benjamin Green— Warnings. 
Saved from a Drunkard's Crave. 

The Ohio Conference had adjourned. The 
last opportunity to secure a settlement and a sal- 
ary, for one year at least, had been declined. 
The young evangelist stood facing all the proba- 
bilities of a venture— if indeed to follow an indi- 
cation of Providence can be called a venture. 
An uncertain venture it seemed to some who 
had less faith in his wisdom than in his conscien- 
tiousness. But words of cheer were not wanting, 
and fervent prayers for his success in saving souls 
were offered by others who indulged the hope 
that God would vindicate his choice in the con- 
version of thousands. Besides the number of 
invitations which he then held to assist the pas- 
tors, others were added to the list, and it became 
evident at once that more doors were open than 

82 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 83 

he could possibly enter. The field was open be- 
fore him. Failure would prove him mistaken, 
and success would vindicate the step he had 
taken. 

The mere personal vindication of any man's 
choice of a field of labor amounts to nothing. 
If he is mistaken he is to be pitied, and if he suc- 
ceeds he will be congratulated. 

But there are principles involved in a discus- 
sion of the relative methods of soul saving that 
vitally concern the church, and a vindication 
of evangelistic agencies may be a proof that 
Providence most emphatically endorses measures 
that even good men are frequently found to op- 
pose. The proof of any man's call to a special 
work must be sought in the results attending his 
labors. The world cares nothing for convictions, 
and judges of men and measures on the basis of 
success. It has no epitaph formen that follow 
theirc onvictions even to the stake, except that 
lone word, failure. 

Even should Bishop Taylor and his heroic 
band die in the wilds of Africa, his continenta 
purpose for the redemption of that land, would 
be branded as a failure ; though by their death 
they might inspire the heroism of the church 
for a thousand years. The standard therefore 
by which the choice of our evangelist is to be 



84 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

adjudged, is the measure of visable success that 
is found to attend his labors, over and above the 
ordinary results of the regular pastorate. Mak- 
ing due allowance for a small skepticism concern- 
ing the permanence of his work, after it is duly 
forgotten that revivals under the regular pastor- 
ate are subject to a degree of shrinkage that de- 
pends more on the weakness of human nature 
than the genuineness of gospel methods employ- 
ed in securing their conversion, this demand for 
commensurate results in vindication of his choice 
is very rigid. But, in this case we accept the 
challenge even on that basis, and proceed to the 
record of two of the most marvelous revivals that 
ever graced the history of methodism in the 
regions where they were held. We first preface 
these two by a brief reference to the revival at 
Coming, which, though not directly connected with 
them, deserves mention in this account, if on!)- for 
the reason that the number saved there so far ex- 
ceeds the general average of revival results in the 
regular pastorate that we might almost base a vind- 
ication of Bro. Bitler's choice on that meeting alone, 
and fully meet the radical demands intimated 
above. Corning is a mining town of about three 
thousand inhabitants, and the fact that it had 
reached that size without having a methodist 
church, serves to indicate the low state of morals 
in that community. 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 85 

Rev. Benjamin Green, a local preacher, had 
just built and finished a church at his own ex- 
pense, and was then supplying the charge as 
pastor. It was on his invitation that the evange- 
list went to Corning. This was his first field 
after Conference, and it proved in many ways, a 
great trial to his faith. From Wesley Chapel to 
Corning, into a church that had no sexton, and 
an occasional turn at building his own fires, was 
something of a contrast. With very few singers 
to depend upon, especially at first, and only oc- 
casionally an organist, and many other disadvant- 
ages, the outlook seemed very unpromising. 
But he tramped through muddy streets and over 
the hills in the face of every difficulty, trusting 
in God for a great revival. To add to his dis- 
comfiture he was taken sick on the first Sunday 
night and verily thought he would die before 
morning. It is indeed surprising that he suc- 
ceeded at all, for in addition to the ordinary dif- 
ficulties referred to, he met with one that seemed 
almost insurmountable. Having begun on the 
7th day of November, he struck a wave of po- 
litical excitement that was engrossing the atten- 
tion of every man, woman and child. The in- 
tense suspense that followed the election, when 
everything was in doubt, and both parties were 
wild with expectancy, was such a barrier to re- 



86 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

ligious interests that people very naturally joined 
in the cry that nothing could be done. 

Drunken revelings disgraced the streets, and 
partisan bellowings rent the air. But the evan- 
gelist believed in God, and blowing the gospel 
trumpet against the wind, he soon saw results. 
Before the close of the first week quite a num- 
ber had been converted, and among them one 
that had been rescued almost from the pit. Bro. 
Green was a worthy co-laborer. An indefatig- 
able worker, a vehement exhorter, and a man of 
God, full of faith and the Holy Ghost, he ren- 
dered invaluable service. His excellent wife, 
full of'the same spirit, ami working with the same 
faith, deserves equal mention with him. Both 
over seventy years of age, they seem to have 
been so much with the Savior, that they work 
and pray with the ardor of youth. 

When "Uncle Ben," as he is sometimes famil- 
iarly called, gets a special baptism of the Holy 
Spirit, he calls it a "Benjamin's mess," and judg- 
ing from the frequency with which that happens, 
he must live sumptuously. As the meeting at 
Corning progressed, marked evidences of the 
Divine presence increased, and conversions mul- 
tiplied. One sad feature has hitherto been a 
marked accompaniment of all Bro. Bitler's meet- 
ings, and though we are not able to prove any 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 87 

providential connection between them, the fact 
remains that wherever his meetings are held there 
have been cases of sudden death that have had 
the effect of arresting attention and emphasizing 
conviction among the ungodly. It was the case 
at Third street, Columbus ; at Main street, Chil- 
licothe ; at Gallipolis ; and at Circleville. At 
Corning, a miner was crushed to death in the 
mines; a young man was accidentally shot through 
the heart, by a gun in the hands of a friend ; a 
child was run over by a passing train. All this 
within ten days, and during the revival. We 
leave the reader to explain these unwelcome co- 
incidences, and merely record them as matters of 
fact. 

Individual cases of conviction attended this 
meeting that illustrate the power of the Spirit on 
the hearts of the unregenerate. One man, a 
Rail Road engineer, became very much troubled. 
He dreamed that he was dead, and would wake 
up at night with a start, as though some terrible 
impression was preying on his mind. At one of 
the meetings Bro. Bitler took occasion to refer to 
the manner in which the Holy Spirit strives with 
men to get them saved, and this engineer was so 
vividly portrayed that he went home and accused 
his wife of telling the preacher all about him. 

One case of marvelous rescue that deserves a 



bb NOISE IT ABROAD. 

place here was that of a Mr. L. M. A . He 

was an Attorney, a man of fine education, and 
one of the most able and successful lawyers in 
Perry county. But he had become very dissipa- 
ted and was fast hastening his end. For months 
past he had been drinking from twenty to thirty 
glasses of whisky each day, and indeed it had 
become so much of a necessity with him, that he 
was obliged to get pretty full to be himself and 
do his work. One evening at the close of the 
service, as Bro's. Green and Hitler were on the 
way home, they met Mr. A. He was drunk 
then, but talked rationally and seemed to realize 
the embarassment of the situation. He told 
Bro. Hitler that he was not in a condition to con- 
verse with him, but he would be glad to see him 
at his home in the morning, if he was alive and 
not in hell ! Anticipating a horrible experience, 
too disgusting to be described, he warned the 
evangelist not to come before nine o'clock in the 
morning. Promptly at that hour Bro. Bitler 
called at his residence, and found him alone — his 
wife being away from home at the time. The 
wretched night he had passed had left him almost 
dead, and his sufferings were not yet ended. He 
said, "Elder, I thought I was going to die awhile 
ago. I thought you had forgotten me, and I 
would not get to see you. I have sinned in the 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 89 

face of light. My father was a minister. Is 
there any salvation tor me?" He seemed very 
much afraid that there was no hope, and that the 
Lord would not hear him, but Bro, Bitler en- 
couraged him to look to Christ and hope for sal- 
vation. There was no fire in the room and the 
day was bitter cold, but in spite of Bro. Bitler's 
caution, he insisted that if the evangelist thought 
there was any hope for him he would get out of . 
bed and pray. It was of no use to urge him to 
pray in bed, for he said if he died he would die 
on his knees, so he crawled out in his night-dress 
and went at it. Both plead with God, and as 
Bro. Bitler encouraged him, hope began to spring 
up and he said, "Elder, I believe the Lord is go- 
ing to have mercy on me." "Yes," replied Bit- 
ler, "7 know He is." 

Both continued to pray until Mr. A. said, 
"Elder, I believe the Lord has had mercy on 
me." Bitler replied again, "I know he has." 
And there in that attitude of helpless penitence 
the light broke in and he went back to bed, say- 
ing that he was ready, and if he died now he 
would die a sober man. The vow was made 
never again to taste a drop of liquor, and so des- 
perate was his determination, that he said he 
would refuse it if it was a necessity in order to 
save his life. Accordingly he requested Bro. 



gO NOISE IT ABROAP. 

Bitler to so inform the Doctor, which he prompt- 
ly did, with the admonition that it would be bet- 
ter for the patient to die than recover by the aid 
of whiskey. The physician, who was a Christian, 
said he would undertake his case, and he thought 
he could get him through. In view of the des- 
perate depth to which this poor inebriate had 
gone, it was a matter of general opinion that in 
e whiskey was a necessity to his living; 
but with all that, in less than an hour afl 
conversion he got up, dressed himself, drank a 
cup af coffee, and Bro. Bitler, who had just been 
telling of his conversion, was surprised to see him 
walk into the church, in company with a : 
Though so weak that he was obliged to hold on 
to the seat before him while standing up, I 
the people what lied had done for him, arid the 
story took such a hold on the mind of the friend 
that he had brought with him, th 
too was down on his knees seeking- for salvation. 
The next day was a day of physical suffering as 
usual, but not attended with the arming 

symptoms, and within a week' he was apparently 
as sound as ever. Both himself and the e\ 
ist believe thatin his case the I [oly Spirit v. 
a special work of deliverance and actually re- 
moved the desire for intoxicating liquors. I lis 
faith was very soon after put to the test, for in 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 9 1 

about two weeks after his conversion, Mr. A . 

was employed in a case where he was obliged to 
go into a saloon and make an inventory of all 
the liquors it contained. He looked at them, 
measured them, but neither tasted nor felt any 
desire for them whatever. Such are the wonders 
of grace ! In the course of several months that 
followed, he was thrown into associations that 
ordinarily were irresistable temptations, but a 
firm reliance on God kept him faithful. At our 
"Jubilee" held at Circleville, he was present by 
invitation, and his address is referred to in the ac- 
count of that meeting. 

The meeting at Corning, in view therefore of 
all these manifestations of the Divine presence, 
after so many hindrances were overcome, and in 
the face of so much political diversion, was sim- 
ply marvelous, and it deserves to rank propor- 
tionately with other great revivals that have since 
followed. Ero. Bitler remained three weeks, and 
one hundred and twenty-seven were converted and 
united with the church. The work was hard, 
the remuneration slight, and the evangelist left 
for Gallipolis after contracting a cold that almost 
ruined his voice ; but was not the vindication of 
his choice thus far most emphatic and decided? 



CHAPTER VIII. 
GALLIPOLIS. 

Its Location — Commercial Advantages — Moral 
Status, and Methodism. 

Gallipolis is a city of about 7,000 inhabitants, 
situated on the Ohio river midway between Pitts- 
burgh and -Cincinnati, and just below the mouth 
of the Kanawha River. Its advantages in a com- 
mercial way are peculiar. With a river trade 
that contributes largely to its interests and no 
competing city of equal size and equal commer- 
cial advantages nearer than Parkersburgh above, 
and Ironton below, it is also the base of sup- 
plies for the great Kanawha valley which drains 
a vast section of West Virginia, including Charles- 
ton the capitol of the State, and the mountain 
regions beyond. Apparently cut off from access 
to the Ohio trade by the hills on the north it is 
one of the termini of the C. H. V. & T. R. R. 
which affords an inland outlet to the rest of the 
world, and commands the trade of towns, villag- 
es and country, in all that section of the State. 
When the great floods of 1883-84 spread dev- 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 93 

astation and ruin through all the Ohio Valley, and 
other cities were submerged, Gallipolis stood safe 
and dry above the highest water mark. While 
built on a beautiful plane at the base of the hills 
it was really the Ararat of the times, and the 
centre of supplies to the suffering multitudes of 
the towns above and below, and while indus- 
triously distributing relief, the Board of Trade 
could invite the attention of manufacturers to 
one dry spot and solicit investments of capital 
where floods are seen but scarcely felt. 

The wholesale feature of its trade is vastly more 
than the size of its population would seem to in- 
dicate, and its diversity of advantages has made 
it a sort of commercial Mecca. 

RELIGIOUSLY. 

Religiously, Gallipolis was about as high and 
dry above the floods of salvation. 

Subject of course to the ordinary quickenings 
that often visited the churches, but not remarka- 
ble as a religious Mecca. On the contrary the 
prevalent standard of morals was very low. There 
is a tendency to underrate and disparage the moral 
condition of things among the people where we 
happen to live. 

The writer is a methodist preacher, and moves 
regularly with the turn of the itinerant wheel, 



94 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

and he has found in each instance that current 
opinion makes every town the worst town in the 
state. We have no sympathy with that sort of 
pessimism that makes outs the worst city, the 
most indifferent community, and the most diffi- 
cult church in the world to revive. Every city 
is a Sodom, if the righteous are counted out, and 
human nature is alike the world over. The Holy 
Spirit is competent to rain down baptisms of fire 
in one place as another. Gallipolis was a wicked 
city. It had its quoto of saloons and as many 
houses of ill-fame. While resident there we as- 
sured ourselves of this truth, and with abundant 
proofs ready for our defense, we published this 
fact in the Gallipolis Bulletin. The statement 
was never challenged, and if the reader lives in a 
county seat, and feels surprised at the proportion, 
let him look at home, and count the apartments of 
of Jezebel near at hand. The single feature of 
gambling that has always characterized the great 
steamboat lines was largely prevalent at Galli- 
polis, and it was to some extent a peculiar seat 
of this vice. The following ' 'straw" copied from 
the Ironton Irontonian by the Gallipolis Bulletin, 
and inserted without note or comment, serves to 
indicate a state of things commonly confessed to 
be the truth : 

"Gallipolis has borne the reputation for many 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 95 

years of being the wickedest town on the Ohio 
River. It has educated many gamblers and con- 
fidence men, and the Courts of Lawrence Co., 
have transacted considerable business with the 
graduates of its slums. "Hell's Half Acre " 
situated near it, has been but a patching to it in 
comparison." 

This "reputation" it seems was not confined to 
the Ohio River, for in 1864 it had been noised 
abroad as far as Northern Alabama, and was sta- 
ple in some quarters of the "Army oi the Tennes- 
see." They had gone into camp at Larkinsville, 
near Huntsville, Ala. ; and while the Second Divis- 
ion, and other troops of the 1 5 th Army Corps were 
encamped there, drinking and gambling was very 
prevalent. Col. J. L. Vance, now editing the 
Gallipolis Bulletin, was invited among others, to 
visit the quarters of Gen, Giles A. Smith. Here 
were present quite a number of general and field 
officers, and among the number Gen. Morgan 
L. Smith. After indulging in what the frater- 
nity might call "modest little games" such as 
Whist, Cubbage, &c, Gen. Morgan L. proposed 
a little game of poker. (It is said that nobody 
ever proposes a big game of poker.) To this in- 
vitation the party all acceded except the Col., 
who excused himself, telling them to go ahead. 

Gen. Morgan L. looked around at the Col., as 
if in utter astonishment. 



g6 XOISE IT ABROAD. 

"What ! " said he, "aint you from Gallipolis ?" 

"Yes," 

"I don't believe it. I've seen a great many 
men from Gallipolis, and I never knew one that 
couldn't and wouldn't play poker ; and I don't 
believe it. You never came from Gallipolis." 

Thus "from Dan to Beersheba, " common re- 
pute made, the city famous. 

Later developments turned up, when, during 
the revival, men were converted who confessed 
their connection with it, and astonished the good 
people with revelations of its powerful prevalence. 
Without implicating others by name we were 
given to understand that gambling was chief 
among the ruling vices that cursed the city, and 
that it was practiced on a large scale. 

Further comment on the truth of the above is 
seen in the fact that at the close of the revival 
a number of suits have been instituted to recover 
lost stakes in various sums. "Squealing" be- 
came prevalent, and the gambler's code of honor 
failed to stay the reactionary tide that spread 
consternation among the gentlemen of that fra- 
ternity. 

The Gallipolis Journal of February 3rd., says : 
"The trials before the Justice have been inter- 
esting from the fact that a number of prominent 
business men have been on the stand. The poker 



NOISE IT ABROAD. gj 

rooms are quiet as charnel houses." The article 
referred to concludes by saying, "Another player 
in this game testified in court that he couldn't 
swear that he had not lost $10,000 in this game. " 
The fact that ' 'there is now only one poker room 
in the town, and this is a small game with a two 
dollar limit," contrasts marvelously with the mass 
of this particular vice of gambling which was 
brought to light and finally buried by the great 
revival. And again we say to astonished readers 
look at home for an antidote to your surprise. 

The Indians walked over mines of gold in 
their native wilds totally ignorant of its existence, 
and civilized innocents are constantly treading the 
thoroughfares of social life in blissful ignorance 
of underlying dross made up of vast conglome- 
rate masses of vice. 

It is seldom that a city gets a reputation for 
vice and sin that is not deserved. The only lack 
of justice is in the fact that other cities equally 
corrupt are not as prominently named in the same 
category. For where one vice is hidden or sup- 
pressed others take precedence, and universal 
depravity reeks in other forms and under other 
names. "The whole world lieth in wickedness. ' ' 
1 John, 5:19. 

Gallipolis enjoyed (?) the just reputation of its 
depravity. Some poor fellow got aboard a steam- 



oS noise it abroad. 

boat at some point on the river, and too drunk to 
care what became of him, he refused to give the 
Clerk his destination. In response to the ques- 
tion, "where are you going? he replied, "I'm 
going to hell." "Well," replied the Clerk, "we 
don't run there, but the nearest place at which 
we land is Gallipolis." 

This was accepted as perfectly satisfactory and 
on that mutual ground of agreement he got off 
at Gallipolis. 

THE OTHER SIDE. 

It has been said that where the devil has a 
Babylon the Lord has a Jerusalem. This was 
true of that city and section of country. Meth- 
odism had not been asleep. Other churches were 
there and their influence was not lost. A picture 
of the better side would take in the educational 
features of that city, which, with an Academy 
whose influence has been like a fountain wafting 
its spray through all the regions round about ; 
a public school system as complete, effective and 
brilliant,as any in the state. Forty-five metho- 
dist church edifices in the county ; and the one at 
Gallipolis itself, comparing favorably with the 
best edifice in the bounds of the Ohio Conference, 
outside the city of Columbus. With a member- 
ship of four or five hundred, and the church out 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 99 

of debt, it occupied a place of influence that con- 
trasted marvelously with the early days of its 
heroic struggle. But up through fiery trials and 
cruel opposition it had come, facing a tide of old 
French infidelity until it had almost died out, and 
ecclesiastical prejudices that its conquering tread 
had compelled to recognize and respect it, The 
history and past triumphs of Methodism on that 
ground were simply marvelous. The author 
served that church for three years, and wrote its 
history up to the date of a day of jubilee, that 
celebrated the payment of the last dollar of its 
indebtedness, and he knows something of the 
toils and tears and triumphs, that preceded the 
great revival of 1885, and prepared the way for 
its immortal victories. The world will look at 
the wicked city and then at the revival, but the 
candid historian will not forget the long line of 
regulars that started with a feeble band away 
back in 18 17, and marched the banners of Meth- 
odism up to the battle of 1885. True there were 
worldly minds in the church. There were indif- 
ferent hearts that sat Sabbath after Sabbath be- 
neath that pulpit and were not stirred by sainted 
names that graced each memorial window, There 
was much to discourage any faithful pastor. 
There were many things to militate against a 
great revival, but with all that, let it never be for- 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 



gotten that the old guard of praying saints that 
had stood by successive pastors, were there, A 
Tuesday night meeting for the promotion of ho- 
liness kept vestal fires burning, and the long, long 
cry of hungry hearts had gone up as a memorial 
before God. It is not essential to the glory of 
God that we ignore his children, and cover up 
their just relation to his work by raising a cloud 
out of the wickedness of a city or the worldliness 
of some men in the church. 

The true leaven of Methodism permeated the 
meal, and the writer, perhaps more familiar with 
all its local phases than anybody else, well re- 
members the earnest pleas that long ascended to 
God for such a revival as we are now pleased to 
record. Gallipolis methodists have reminded us 
that in the midst of that period, when the last of 
financial indebtedness was canceled and the out- 
look was clear, we "ventured the prophecy that 
the day was not far distant when some evangelist 
would be sent of God to sound the trumpet that 
would call the multitude, and secure the conver- 
sion of hundreds on that hallowed ground." It 
was but a prayer, and yet an utterance of pro- 
phetic faith that took its bearings from the pre- 
vailing spirit of expectancy and the white waving 
fields of preparation. Since the days of Father 
Battelle's pastorate, a Tuesday night holiness 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 10 1 

meeting had continued to fan these vestal fires. 
It was not a "strange fire" either, but the very 
same that kindled the torch of Methodism in the 
days of its dawn at Gallipolis, and flamed afresh 
when the saintly Bishop Hamline preached the 
unsearchable riches of grace on that same ground. 
Were it not that local features are uninteresting 
to the outside world, we could name other aspects 
that worked for or against the success of this 
great revival, but let it suffice that revivals of 
various interest had graced the Methodism of 
Gallipolis almost yearly in its past history. The 
winter of 1884, under the pastorate of the present 
incumbent, Rev. W. H. Lewis, was not without 
fruit ; but the terrible flood that devastated the 
Ohio Valley in the February of that year, swept 
away the increasing interest of many revivals 
along its course, and that of Gallipolis among the 
rest. 




yk ¥ 






^W*. 

% 



CHAPTER IX. 



The Gallipolis Revival. 

Holiday Diversions — Appliances Used — A 
"Watch Night J Meeting " — Young People's 
Meeting — Going "Up Stairs" — Paying the 
Bills. 

The time for beginning a revival series, has by 
many ministers and churches, come to be fixed 
with the beginning of the "Week of Prayer." 
This ordinarily dates from the first or second 
Sabbath of the New Year, and escapes the di- 
verting festivities of the holidays. 

The Gallipolis meeting was begun by the pastor. 
The initial work of the revival Avas done long 
before it was recognized by the public. It be- 
gan immediately after Conference in pastoral 
visiting from house to house, in which the indi- 
vidual members of the church were pledged to 
pray for a revival ; many entered into this cove- 
nant with the Pastor. This led to increased at- 
tendance at the prayer meetings, and at once 
the spiritual tide began to rise. The burden of 

105 



106 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

all prayers seemed to be, "O Lord revive thy 
work." Prayer meetings increased to three a 
week, at which several persons were converted. 
On the first Sabbath in December special revival 
services began. There were two conversions the 
first week. The Evangelist came during the 
second week. 

The visible prospect of success was beset with 
innumerable difficulties. Great preparations 
were being made in social and business circles 
for a revival of another sort, and the announce- 
ments for the season filled the programme with 
parties, balls, and various attractions that made 
a revival of religion seem an unwelcome intru- 
sion. 

Ordinary policy might have deferred the issue, 
but the battle begun, it went right on with in- 
creasing interest from the beginning. The sec- 
ond night after the arrival of the Evangelist, 
there were two conversions, and from that time 
on, with a single exception, there were conver- 
sions every night of the nine weeks. At first the 
numbers were few, and confined chiefly to the 
younger people. At the end of the month 
there were about seventy-five, chiefly young 
people, converted. 

The local press was freely used at the begin- 
ning of the meetings. 



NOISE IT ABROAD. lO"J 

Notices of the revival services were posted in 
conspicuous places. A large banner with a 
printed invitation to attend, was unfurled neanthe 
public square. The city was literally sown with 
religious tracts and gospel invitations, and the 
walls of the church were adorned with banners 
covered with Scripture quotations. These ap- 
pliances are fully explained in the chapter devo- 
ted to Methods, and need only a brief reference 
in this place. Aside from these, nothing unusual 
or sensational was practiced to attract the crowds. 
The first half hour of every service was devoted to 
singing. Everybody sang. Many of the songs 
were new and full of melody, and this feature of 
the meeting was one of the most attractive and 
inspiring of any that characterized that great re- 
vival. Many were attracted to the house by a 
volume of song that rolled out like the sound of 
a Niagara, and could be distinctly heard for two 
squares from the building. In spite of amuse- 
ments and diversions of every sort, the meeting 
grew steadily in power, and all the elements of 
preparation, until the closing night of the Old 
Year. Always ready to seize an opportunity, 
the Evangelist saw one in the advent of a New 
Year. 

A Watch Night Meeting was announced, in the 
hope that it would culminate in a favorable crisis, 



IOS NOISE IT ABROAD. 

and give the revival a new impetus: and so it 
proved. Conversions had characterized almost 
every service, but nothing remarkable had trans- 
pired. The " Watch Night" meeting proved 
to be a Pentecost. It was a time of great power, 
and those present continue to speak of it as 
a marvelous meeting. 

Just as the bell struck the closing hour of the 
Old Year, and heralded the coming of the New, 
two souls were clearly and powerfully converted 
to God. A few who had doubted the propriety 
of reviving an old fashioned Methodist custom 
of sitting up all night, and yet could not resist 
the novelty of being present, were soundly con- 
verted to the idea before morning, and it is likely 
that their impressions will find them awake on 
the morning of January I, 1886. The novelty 
of a midnight meeting, preceded as this was with 
some noise of the revival, attracted a few straggling 
sinners that had spent the previous hours of the 
night in revelry; and such was the power of the 
meeting that they went away under conviction, 
and were subsequently converted. 

On the first Saturday night of the New Year 
a Young People s Meeting was held, at which the 
first great "break" occurred, and twenty four 
young persons were converted. It may be 
worthy of notice, that Bro. Bitler never succeeds 



NOISE IT ABROAD. IO9 

in reaching the climax of a revival, or rather 
that elevated plane of remarkable results that so 
often characterises his meetings, until he succeeds 
in capturing the young people. After the way 
is prepared in general, and the propitious ele- 
ments begin to be seen and felt, this is his first 
strategic point. It is usually carried when the 
older church people are absent, and Saturday 
night is selected as a time most auspicious. 
Then the forces are scattered, the older people 
are less likely to attend, and a whole evening 
can be devoted exclusively to the young people. 

During the next ten days, and including the 
results of this young people's meeting, there 
were two hundred and fifty persons converted. 
They were chiefly older persons, from all classes 
of society. This is a most marvelous record, 
and will find few parallels in the history of evan- 
gelistic results in modern times. 

With the new year, the regular night service 
was transferred to the large audience room up 
stairs. The usual objections were urged against 
the change, both on the score of its militating 
against the interests of the meeting, and a reluc- 
tance on the part of the Board to throw open 
the upper room to the" backseat fraternity, " who 
leave evidences of their defilement where they 
happen to be seated for any length of time. 



110 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

Moreover it was said that the lower room — 
which, by the way, is so arranged that its seat- 
ing capacity is nearly equal to the upper room, 
except the gallery — was not yet crowded, and 
that until then there was no occasion for the 
transfer. We refer to this for the reason that 
doubtless many evangelistic pastors have found 
the same difficulty when attempting larger things. 
Ordinarily, a lecture room is the scene of all the 
revivals in a given church, and the devoted peo- 
ple of the church become so accustomed to its 
sacred surroundings and homelike presence, that 
they lose their valor, and let their zeal be dissi- 
pated, when with the coming of the Sabbath and 
its larger attendance, the services are held in the 
audience room. Besides, there are in all our 
Boards and churches, those who look upon this 
room as forbidden to the tramping masses. The 
carpets are too costly, and the furniture too fine, 
for the commonplace use of what they regard as 
the lower classes. Revivals of religion are coarse 
and- vulgar, as compared with the ordinary, and 
almost ritualistic dress parade of a fashionable 
Sunday service ; and the vandalism of marching 
the masses into this "dim religious light" of the 
main audience room, is simply shocking. The 
cost of lighting and heating is much greater, and 
the expense of wear and tear, refitting and fur- 



NOISE IT ABROAD. I I I 

nishing, is too intolerable for their unbelief in the 
grand results that may follow. We aver that 
when our Methodist churches are too fine for the 
admission of the masses, and the practical work 
of saving men by revival methods, Ave might as well 
withdraw from the evangeistlic field altogether, 
and make way for a Salvation Army that can 
march into theaters and saloons and capture men 
in their every day clothes. 

At Gallipolis, they are fond of referring to 
some of the arguments used against occupying the. 
upper room, at the expense of one good brother, 
who will forgive the allusion, if we modify the 
story by saying that we have not had opportunity 
to hear his version of it. It is said that he very 
earnestly opposed the change, and when the multi- 
tude thronged the place he insisted that it was 
unsafe. Having remained away from the meet- 
ings for a few days, he ventured to return, but 
instead of going into the upper room where the 
congregation was assembled, he went into the 
lecture-room below, and spent a greater part of 
the evening. Doubtless as he sat beneath that 
vast audience, he was musing on the probabilities 
of a terrible catastrophe, and willing to become a 
martyr to his faith. 

In the matter of occupying the larger room a 
principle is involved. It looks like an announce- 



I I 2 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

ment of proportionate attendance and results. 
It is an exhibition of faith that is measured by 
the enlarged seating capacity. In brief, it looks 
like business. It is business. It takes some 
heroism to attempt it, and commits the pastor 
and the church to a siege of life or death, sink 
or swim, survive or perish, and they must have a 
revival. It is seldom that a great revival comes 
to the man that feels his way along from meeting 
to meeting, and method to method, and only ad- 
vances as his confidence increases. In the work 
of God we must plunge into the sea, and trust 
the Holy Ghost to help us to the shore. Here 
is the faith, 

"Which laughs at impossibilities, 
And cries it shall be done." 

The wear and tear is considerable, and the ex- 
pense is proportionate, but so is the wear and 
tear on the preacher and the people, and the 
cost of a great revival could only be justified by 
the salvation of souls. Great efforts have their 
compensations however. At Gallipolis the col- 
lections defrayed the incidental expenses ; the 
evangelist, who had trusted the voluntary support 
of the people, was remunerated ; a new library 
was founded, and six hundred dollars contrib- 
uted for this purpose ; and about eight hundred 
dollars was raised for repairing and refitting the 
church. 



NOISE IT ABROAD. II3 

The same readiness was manifested at Circle- 
ville. One Sabbath morning, several weeks after 
the revival, the pastor began the service at half 
past ten, the usual hour ; baptized a number of 
children, using the disciplinary form of ritual, 
preached a sermon on the subject, called for con- 
tributions to make repairs and purchase new fur- 
niture and a carpet, and before twelve o'clock 
the amount subscribed was a little more than one 
thousand dollars. Any genuine revival, if judic- 
iously managed, will pay its way, meeting current 
expenses as they accrue, and making the church 
look like a new convert — regenerated. 




CHAPTER X. 

Gallipolis Revival, Continued. 

The "High Water Mark" — Special Meetings. 
Press Comment — Drunk — A Converted Cath- 
olic — Obduracy Conquered. 

The work in the main audience room began 
at once to assume large proportions. Gallery, 
aisles, and every available space was crowded, and 
it soon became necessary to open the lower room, 
and run two meetings at the same time. Even 
then, at times, many were turned away for want 
of room. By this time the great point of attrac- 
tion did not centre in the mottoes, and other 
appliances used to arrest attention ; nor yet in 
the Evangelist ; nor wholly in his preaching. 
The preaching w r as not of the sensational kind, 
but was direct, pointed and practical — the old- 
fashioned Methodist kind — gospel preaching. 
Hearers were urged to a definite committal, an 
unconditional surrender to God, and sinners were 
taught to look for a present salvation by faith. 
The great attraction had come to be salvation it- 

114 



NOISE IT ABROAD. I I 5 

self. The number of conversions at the altar, or 
near it, during ten successive nights, averaging 
twenty-five souls a night, gave the meeting such 
prominence that every-thing fell before it, or rose 
with the tide. At one meeting the number 
reached thirty-five, and the evangelist, contrary 
to his wonted custom, violated good taste(?) and 
ran the risk of unfriendly criticism. Ke was not 
guilty of standing on his head, nor of any other 
outlandish proceeding; but he did stand on the 
pulpit, long enough to make an extraordinary 
announcement ; and, in ordinary times, long 
enough to wreck the reputation of any preacher 
in the world. But it will be seen that the extra- 
ordinary circumstances of the time fully warranted 
the proceeding. From the beginning, the meet- 
ing increased in power, until conversions began 
to exceed former meetings. They were announced 
near the close more rapidly than the doxology 
could be sung. The standing multitude covered 
the platform and surrounded the pulpit. The 
evangelist conducted the battle standing on a 
chair. As the numbers ra» up to 30-31-32-33 
34-35 ! ! — having neither wings, nor a chariot 
with which to rise, he wanted a higher peak, and 
stepped up on the pulpit beside the Bible, with 
this declaration, "I just want to say that this is 
an extraordinary occasion, and I'm responding 



I 1 6 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

to an extraordinary impulse. It is only once in 
a lifetime that a man can afford to stand here, but 
I desire to have it known as the high water mark 
of this meeting, when the preacher stood on the 
pulpit." At various points on the Ohio River 
are marks of the highest rise of the great flood 
Some of these water marks are cut in 
stone and revered as memorials of disaster ; but 
here was a flood of salvation, worthy to compare 
with the swelling currents of that great river, and 
if the evangelist had not caught the idea of util- 
izing the parallel, it would have been a noted 
omission very uncommon with him. Lest the 
reader, from his dim and distant view of the 
whole scene, incline to criticise the proceeding, 

ust remind him that in not one instance 
have we heard it mentioned with disapproval by 

.vho were present. Such was the intense 
interest of the occasion, and the naturalness of 
the step, that several persons of excellent taste 
and good sense have assured the writer that it was 
a climax, only to be approved and appreciated 
by these who witnessed the heavenly pentecost 
that seemed to rest on all the people. Perhaps 
others have stood on the same "sacred desk" to 
hang up a horse-shoe as an appropriate symbol 
for a wedding, but never before did the preacher 
mount the cushion to chronicle the high water 
mark of a great revival. 



NOISE IT ABROAD. l\J 

The marked and special features of that meet- 
ing, would make a chapter of thrilling interest. 
The scenes attendant on the conversion of thirty- 
five souls, of every shade of previous life and 
experience, together with such manifestations of 
joy and triumph as will characterize a great church 
when formalism melts down, and stiffness lets go, 
'can hardly be described, and we forbear the at- 
tempt. 

In addition to the frequent use of both rooms 
for public service, special meetings were held at 
various hours ; for children, for young men, for 
seekers, for women, and for men only. Some of 
the greatest victories of the revival were secured 
at these special meetings. In the meetings for 
men only, an opportunity w r as afforded for direct 
and personal appeal, that was not only employed 
by the preacher in public address, but by a hand 
to hand method of personal persuasion in which 
christian men engaged in every part of the house. 

During the period of the greatest interest in 
the general meeting, and on to its close, it was 
found necessary to exclude all children under 
twelve years of age from the night meetings. 
Since they were abundantly provided for during 
the day, it was not a total neglect of the children, 
and they were prevented from occupying seats 
that were needed to accommodate older persons. 



I 1 8 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

With all that could be done, a multitude were 
continually blocking the aisles, lining the wails, 
and thronging the doorway to the pavement, pa- 
tiently standing by the hour, to witness the work 
of salvation at the altar and in the congregation. 
During this intensely interesting period the work 
was not confined to the altar, but conversions 
occurred all over the house. 

Meetings were held daily at 2:30, 6 and 7 p. 
m. The evangelist preached almost every night, 
and on the Sabbath ; led much of the singing ; 
visited among the people, and labored incessantly ; 
while the pastor, and during a large part of the 
time, the Presiding Elder, were abundant in labors 
and untiring in efforts to save the people. To a 
looker on, it seemed that everybody was at 
work, and that sort of apology which disapproves 
of personal work in the congregation, seemed to 
have but a slim following. 

Chief among these laborers was the pastor 
himself, heading the forces and gleaning in every 
quarter of the congregation. Not only in the 
church, but everywhere — on the streets, in shop, 
and store, and office, the people were at work, 
and salvation was the theme. Every temporal 
interest became subordinate. 

The whole city, not only felt the influence of 
the revival, but was intensely effected by it in 



NOISE IT ABROAD. I 19 

every department. No opposition seemed to be 
manifest to any degree. Hardened sinners were 
amazed and trembled as before the Lord. Many 
who ordinarily oppose revival efforts were either 
silenced by the popular current of approval, or 
won to the side of praise and congratulation by 
the conversion of their friends. The most hos- 
tile foes of the church were either disarmed by 
the spirit of the meeting, or left so completely 
alone, that their very presence was not noticed. 
An article which appeared in the Gallipohs 
Journal 'of January 21, 1885, so fairly represents 
the work at that stage that we insert it, in part. 

A MARVELOUS REVIVAL. 



The Town Torn Asunder by the Most Re- 
markable Religious Work in the His- 
tory of Ohio. 



The great revival at the Methodist Episcopal 
Church in this city, has assumed the proportions ot 
a sensation. The very by-ways of the city are fra- 
grant with the incense of a new-born life. * * * 
The Upheaval. 

Mr. Bitler's manner in the pulpitis impassioned to 
a high degree. His presence puts spirit into a con- 
gregation and his audience throbs with his every mo- 



120 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

tion, and become lost if he but disappears for a 
moment. He is gifted with remarkable executive 
ability. So earnest is he that his work is reflected in 
his face, at which one never tires of looking. 
Through it all there is a strain of wit so charming as 
to blend the large crowd into one happy whole. 
Nothing disconcerts him. He is irrepressible and 
untiring. 

The M. E. Church is the largest and costliest 
church edifice in this city, and probably as '. 
any in Southeastern Ohio. 

Meetings began in the basement, but the increased 
interest compelled the use of the up-stairs. This 
room, too, was soon found to be not adequ 
overflow meetings were held below, and frequently 
both rooms were full and people were standii 

The work of conversion progressed in every seat 
of the large edifice. Throughout the whole, the plan 
cf work has included the simple means of invitation 
to the altar. No special aim was made to -pulverize 
the rum power," or break the spell of the gambling 
hell, so in consequence no special animosity was met 
in the fight. The first converts were ladies and young 
people, then followed others from the ranks of that 
large class of young men just entered on a business 
career. Soon the conquests took a more astonishing 
turn and here finds its marvelous character. The 
next grade of converts were men oi fixed habits. 
Men who had turned the cold shoulder to the church 
portals for years, entered and melted as snow before 
fire. From every quarter of the city ; from every 
class of business ; men of every nativity ; rich and 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 12 1 

poor alike ; the drunkard and the incipient gambler, 
came and bowed their lowly heads, seeking for a 
better life than they had had. The spirit ran as wild- 
fire through entire families. The cherub of ten, and 
the hoary frosts of seventy-five were given to God. 

It is in the air ; in the faces of the people you 
meet ; it whirls up the by-ways, like the driven snow, 
and finds lodgment everywhere. 

Day and night the work has gone on. Through 
snow and sleet and rain and cold, the people have 
flocked to church and been reluctantly driven at night 
from the portals. Every convert has been a worker 
and brought lambs to the fold. The experience of 
those converted as related in general meeting, have 
made strong men shed tears. 

Within six weeks, up to and not including Monday 
last, 410 persons were converted, and 257 names 
were added to the church rolls. During that time 
the Presbyterian Church has added fifteen members, 
the most of them undoubtedly receiving grace at the 
M. E. Church. 

The "incipient gambler" was doubtless among 
the seekers, but so was the gambler of maturer 
experience ; and as to the drunkard, he was there, 
drunk. Three cases we could name came to 
the altar in an intoxicated condition. One of 
them we witnessed while visiting the revival. He 
seemed almost too helpless to kneel, and we 
doubted the outcome. Hope and sympathy was 
given the right of way however, and he was en- 



122 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

couraged to pray. At a later meeting he came 
to the altar sober, and was soundly converted. 
More than four months later while visiting at 
Gallipolis we made special inquiry as to the out- 
come, of which we had before doubted, and it 
was a joy to discover that the transformation was 
complete, and he was numbered among the most 
reliable converts of the meeting. Of fine per- 
sonal appearance, and worthy to rank among men 
of ability, he seemed to deserve the confidence 
and esteem of those who had labored so earnestly 
to secure his salvation. 

Another, whose case equally illustrates the 
power of grace, is reported still faithful. He 
was a printer by trade. Entered the army in 
md came out of the service a drunkard. 
Descending at every turn lie became a "tramp." 
Was kicked out of one office after another, and 
became so utterly abandoned, that his friends 
gave up all hopes of his rescue. Divorced from 
his wife, and supreme'}" devoted to drink, he 
• sacrificed everything, and was willing to risk any- 
for Lis abominable god. Once he swam 
the Ohio river for a drink, and at another time 
he undertook to walk across the railroad suspen- 
sion bridge at Point Pleasant for the same price. 
The bridge hangs high enough above the river to 
admit the passage of steamers, and at the time 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 23 

the attempt was made the ties were covered with 
about eight inches of snow. In the absence of 
the watchman, whom he had induced to be ab- 
sent on some deceptive pretense, he undertook 
the perilous trip, and when near the opposite 
side, missed his footing, and fell about thirty feet 
into a drift of snow. His experience, as it ap- 
proached the end of this folly, was of the same 
sort. On the 7th of January he sold his overcoat 
for two dollars, and spent the money for drink. 
On the 8th he traded his clothes for a poorer suit 
and fifty cents. On the 10th he traded his shoes 
for an older pair and fifty cents, and of course 
the '-boot" went for drink. Passing the church 
on that day, he was attracted by the singing, and 
just as a multitude of others had done, he paused 
to hear it, and ventured at last inside the church. 
He was not a promising candidate for church 
membership and when he gave his name to the 
i it was written in the back of the book. 
But coffee and kindness, with all that usually ac- 
companies both, was administered by a brother 
who believes in the salvation of a drunkard ; and 
the next day he went to the meeting sober, and 
was converted. 

We <nice heard an eminent evangelist say, that 

I could save any sinner out of hell," and in 

f the many illustrations which might 



124 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

be given, from the actual results of this great 
revival, and others we have recent!}' witnessed, 
the truth of the statement is strongly reinforced. 

When it is said that all classes were reached 
revival, it is meant to be underst 
literally true Every conquest gave new . 
the meeting, and sustained public interest at the 

iiiy were the high b 
down and the lowly exalted, but such as were 
separated from the church by social and eccle- 
siastical barriers, were attracted to tl 
and converted to God. 

A young man who was a Catholic, of 
a third generation of Catholics, and knew abso- 
lutely nothing of Protestant worship, whil 
ing the church was attracted by the singing. He 
asked the boys about the door what was 
on. When told that it was a Methodist revival, 
lie added his ignorant prejudices to this informa- 
tion, and said he would go inand "seethe Meth- 
odists hop/' The singing was divine, the meth- 
ods were strange, but his heart was all broken 
up, and he scarcely knew why. The next day 
while canvassing for some article that he was 
selling, he chanced to call at the residence of a 

brother M ., and very soon began to inquire 

about the revival. It was all a mystery to him. 
The family gave him all the information they 



NOISE IT ABROAD. I 25 

could, and a son of brother M . took an es- 
pecial interest in him and encouraged him in every 
possible way. In a day or two the young man 
secured a bible, and spent the most of that night 
reading it, and trying to "pray as the Methodists 
do." He went to bed with a heavy heart, but 
could not sleep. Toward morning, however, 
he went to sleep, and when he awoke everything 
was bright. His heart was light, and he was 
very happy. Instead of darkness and gloom the 
mystery was solved, and all was "brilliant as an 
electric light " He went to the church and told 
his experience, and the unaffected simplicity of 
his story gave weight to his testimony, and won 
the sympathy of all that heard it. His business 
makes him a wanderer, but his letters continue 
to assure his Methodist friends that the Savior is 
with him. 

The following case is given as an illustration of 
the power of grace, the mercy and providence 
of God, in spite of obdurate rebellion J — C. 
was regarded in early life as a youth of good 
morals, and took some pride in the reputation it 
gave him ; but subsequent life developed a very 
different course. At the age of sixteen he had not 
tasted liquor. One winter, during a revival at 
some place in Virginia, four young men with 
whom he associated, came to him and urged him 



126 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

to go with them and join the church. This 
"moral young man" persuaded them that they 
could be christians out of the church as well as 
in it, and the whole part}- went to the theatre 
The four led dissipated and vicious 
lives. One was killed by a mob in the Black 
Hills. One fills a felon's grave in Missouri. One 
was Ellis, of "Ashland murder" fame. The 
fourth is serving a life sentence in the Tennessee 
penitentiary. 

J — C. married a christian woman, who plead 
with him daily to "come to Jesus," but to no 
effect. The loss of a little child stirred him, but 
he became rebellious. The sickness and death 
of his wife was attended with powerful incentives 
to repentance, but proved unavailing. Rallying 
for a moment when dying, his wife gave him a 
final invitation and said, "will you come to Jesus 
now ? " with her last breath. He became a wan- 
>ut wherever he went, above the din of 
machinery, the noise of the train, or the roar of 
the wind, "come to Jesus" rang in his ears. 

In the wilds of Texas, among the "cow boys," 
he was taken sick. Gradually sinking, he be- 
came so ill that his companions supposed him 
to be dead, and selected a place to bury him. 
During all this time the admonition was constantly 
in his mind, but though great'y alarmed he refused 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 12/ 

to pray, and when he began to rally so that he 
could speak, he uttered a terrible oath. After 
that his convictions wore away, and he spent four 
years in vice and dissipation. He went to the 
revival with no other motive than to ridicule the 
young- converts, and when approached by them, 
responded ^with an oath. When an invitation 
was given to seekers to repair to the lower room, 
he went down with a friend to see what v/as done, 
and took a seat near the altar with no thought of 
repentance. Bro. Bitler soon found him, and 
after ignoring his defpnses, began to ply the truth. 
Finally he said to him, ' 'will you come to Jesus 
now?" This was the same arrow that had 
pierced his heart before. The struggle v/as des- 
perate, but he soon replied, "I will," and kneel- 
ing at the altar, he cried for mercy and was saved. 
He has since been faithful, and feels that God 
has a mission for him. If to his natural abilities, 
which are considerable, is added a course of men- 
tal training, he may yet be instrumental in doing 
great good. 







CHAPTER XI. 

Galhpolis Revival, Continued. 

Six Hundred and Twenty-five — A Skeptig 
Saved — Backslider Reclaimed — "Weak- 
Minded." — Non-Church-Goer~, — County Of- 
ficials. — FIRE : ! 1 

The whole number that professed conversion, 
from the beginning to the close of the revival at 
Gallipolis, was six hundred and twenty-five. This 

includes the child of 10 and the old man of 70. 
It include-; all grades and classes in society, the 
lowest and the highest. Among the number are 
river men, railroad men, mechanics, merchants, 
teachers, drummers, physicians, lawyers and 
county officers. 426 joined the M. E. Church, 
some joined other churches in the city, others 
joined in the country. A large number of these 
converted were already church-members ; not 
only Methodists, but Presbyterians, Episcopalians, 
Baptists, Lutherans and Catholics. 

At the close of a Sunday night service prior 
to the coming of Brother Bitler, a stranger tarried 

128 



NOISE IT ABROAD. I 29 

after the congregation was dismissed. The pas- 
tor found him weeping, and in response to his 
request Bro. Lewis promised to pray for him. 
He was a "drummer," and appeared to be deep- 
ly convicted. Obliged soon to leave the city he 
agreed to write and inform the pastor when he 
was converted. It was but a short time, however, 
till he was found in an evening meeting with a 
smiling face that seemed to indicate a change in 
his experience. When opportunity offered, he 
came forward and told the congregation that he 
had been converted on the train. He was a man 
of good address and excellent appearance, and 
his testimony added materially to the interest of 
the meeting. He had been a Superintendent of 
Public Schools, and gave evidence of some cul- 
ture. A skeptic, he had wasted some time in 
the study of the New Testament in the original, 
and endeavored to utilize his knowledge of the 
Greek in criticising the text, but his conversion 
had put a new phase on his interpretations, and 
revealed the power and wisdom of some passages 
that were stumbling blocks before. Returning 
to his home in Indiana, he told his wife of the 
great transformation, and she at once became in- 
terested. Formerly a christian, she had back- 
slidden and given up attendance at the church, 
but this induced her to £0 aerain. She was soon 



I30 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

after reclaimed,' and w rote Bro, Lewis telling him 
of it, and how happy they were at home. 

Three or four persons were converted before 
the coming of the evangelist, but a much larger 
number date their conviction to a period before 
any special meetings were held. Either some 
special providence, or the direct operation of the 
Holy Spirit, preceded the influence of the meet- 
ing, and prepared the hearts of many for its com- 
ing. It is doubtless true oi all great revivals, 
that the Holy Spirit pioneers the way, and does 
a great work among the people, before any visi- 
ble signs are discovered. Numerous instances 
attest the truth of this remark, and both at Gal- 
lipolis and Circleville, it was no uncommon thing, 
to hear the newly converted refer to a time long 
before the meetings when their convictions began. 

Another instance of this is found in the case 

of John L . He had been a christian at one 

time, and for a period of about seven years he 
was faithful. But little by little the light went 
out, and ever since the war he had been in a 
backslidden state. For five years he had not at- 
tended the church, but while receiving the "Tem- 
plar" degree in the Ohio Valley Commandery, 
he determined to join the church. This was six 
weeks prior to his final surrender at the meetings, 
and prepared the way for it. He declined going 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 29 

to the altar for some time, and prayed a good deal 
at home, and elsewhere, believing that he could 
be converted there, as well as at the altar. His 
was not a solitary case in this respect; for many 
resisted this step during the meetings, but were 
finally obliged to surrender. Indeed we never 
knew, either in this revival or any other, a single 
person, to stand on this refusal and be converted. 
It involves a principle. Submission must be 
complete. Fortunately for him, after some time 
lost on his method, he yielded the point, and 
coming to the altar, he fell on his knees like a 
man letting go of a rope. He was a large, mus- 
cular man, and his coming down was tremendous. 
In a few minutes he was saved. A brief sequel 
to his conversion is worthy of a place in this 
account, and we give it as an illustration of the 
power of grace. He was a man of quick tem- 
per, and when angry, very profane. He was 
employed by a large wholesale house in draying, 
and sometimes resorted to a dray pin to conquer 
his mules. His cruelty when very angry was 
proverbial, and though a man of excellent parts, 
and highly esteemed for many good qualities, he 
had no mercy on an obstreperous mule. One 
rainy day, soon after his conversion, he was 
greatly tried on his weakest point. He was put- 
ting up his team, expecting to get ready in time 



130 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

to go to the evening meeting. The mules sud- 
denly took it into their heads to run away, and 
off they went to the hills, with John after them. 
Tired, hungry, and wet, he climbed the hill, oc- 
casionally tumbling down on the way. He said 
the devil wanted him to swear, but he wouldn't. 
Once he fell down and struck his head against a 
post, and the devil was sure he would swear, but 
he didn't. Finally he drove the mules back to 
the stable, and then as if they had not forgotten 
the last runaway scrape, when they had been 
pounded with a hickory broom handle, they 
scampered away again, and this time took a trip 
down the river. This was a hard trial, but after 
some difficulty they were returned to the stable, 
and as John went in, he saw the hickory broom 
standing by, and he avers, that the devil and the 
mules were sure that he would use it, but he dis- 
appointed both. Instead of the old programme 
he gave them a good supper and a better bed 
than usual, and repaired to the house. When 
he went in he sat down to supper, and putting 
his face in his hands began to pray. His wife 
said, "John, what's the matter with you? " He 
replied, "I've got a victory over the devil and 
the mules, that's what's the matter. ' ' He became 
very happy while recounting the triumph. The 
joy of that victory more than repaid his enforced 



NOISE IT ABROAD. I3I 

absence from the church, and the escapade with 
the mules proved a means of grace not soon to 
be forgotten. 

When Bro. Bitler went to Gallipolis the visible 
cloud was but the size of a man's hand. Worn 
and jaded from excessive labors at Corning, he 
went to work with all the energy he possessed, 
and in the firmest faith that a great revival was 
at hand. He did not succeed, in one instance at 
least, in making a very favorable impression as 
to his ability. A gentleman whose intelligence 
and social standing ranked with the best, and who 
came so near being a "brother" that he was al- 
ways counted on for his sympathy and support 
in almost every enterprise of a philanthropic 
character, and of whose position and influence we 
forbear to speak lest it seem to be flattery, was 
in attendance early in the meeting. Having 
"sampled" the evangelist, he said to his friends 
that Mr, Bitler would likely succeed in getting 
some "weak-minded and emotional people, but 
that he would never reach the thinking class." 

However, before the meeting had progressed 

very far, Mr. . was himself among the 

"weak-minded." Soundly converted to God he 
threw his soul into the meeting, and worked 
hard and faithfully to the end for the salvation 
of others. 



!32 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

There were very many persons converted who 
had not been inside of a church for years. 
It was no uncommon thing to hear them say that 
they had not been at any church for five, ten, and 
even a longer period of years. One had not at- 
tended divine service for about twenty-seven 
years. He was converted the first night he 
attended the revival. The number of men con- 
verted in the various revivals conducted by Bro. 
Bitler, who have not been inside of any church 
for years, is hard to estimate ; but in every in- 
stance, the proportionate count is large, and very 
conspicuous as a feature of each meeting. 

Sometimes their very mistakes of mannerism, 
and the difficulty with which they seem to adapt 
themselves to the new order of things, gives 
novelty to their testimonies, and abundant proof 
of their former absence. One would hardly 
think that the simple forms of expression and 
methods of service, so common among all wor- 
shipers, would be a new world to many that daily 
pass our doors ; but such is the case, and while 
denominational polity ranges our forces into 
companies and regiments, there is a mass outside 
that know no difference between Methodist, 
Presbyterian, etc. , except that they are located 
differently, and go by different names, "With 
what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 33 

again;" and, to use their own terms, while we 
are looking down on them they are looking up at 
us, as "tony" and "goody" people, that are "gone 
from" them. 

The conversion of such men includes not only 
regeneration, but a voyage of discovery, and 
they come to the shores of a continent that was 
an unknown world before, Their conversion 
may be regarded as remarkable, but the methods 
that secure their attendance, must be credited 
with the largest share in the victory. Even more 
remarkable is the conversion of men with whom 
the harvest is nearly past and the summer almost 
ended. Old men, who have run the gauntlet for 
many years and Aveathered the influences of many 
revivals, are the most improbable subjects of 
conviction and conversion on earth. Business 
men are usually too much engrossed to give a 
revival any attention. County officials are too 
closely identified with their constituents, and too 
conspicuously observed, to think of bowing at 
the feet of the Saviour. And yet the Gallipolis 
revival numbered among its converts representa- 
tives of all these classes. 

The Sheriff was arrested. Under the great 
seal of the Holy Spirit he surrendered to a writ 
that took possession of his heart. The Prosecu- 
ting Attorney pressed his suit at the bar of the 



134 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

Highest Tribunal and secured a decision in his 
favor. It would seem that a man who had loved 
the church and labored for its advancement for 
years ; who had served two terms as Probate Judge 
of the county, would long ago have obtained the 
witness of his adoption as an heir of God. It 
was not till this great revival, however, that 

Judge C , was satisfied with this item of his 

Father's Will, but then and there it was admitted 
to probate and put beyond question. 

FIRE!!! 

The Gallipolis fire department was not called 
out to extinguish the pentecostal flames, but as 
they began to assume the proportions of a con- 
flagration, the company were among the interested 
spectators. They were a stalwart set of men, 
full of heroic blood, and in the prime and strength 
of young manhood. On the score of prompt- 
ness and efficiency, the late Chief Bunker, of 
Cincinnati, awarded them the praise of being the 
best volunteer fire company in the State. 

Their Chief was a worthy representative. 
Physically a good specimen of the typical police- 
man, he was of a generous and companionable 
nature, and wielded an uncommon influence 
among his associates. His experience, afterward 
recited, proves that he could hold his own with 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 35 

any of them in dissipation. On the eve of the 
New Year he spent the closing hours of the year 
in drinking and gambling. Having drank till 
i a. m., and played thirteen games of "freeze 
out," he went home and told his wife that he 
had been at the 'watch night' meeting at the 
Methodist church. Profanity was ■ among his 
chief vices, and it had become so much of a 
habit that he could scarcely drive a nail without 
swearing. Doubtless his experience in all these 
things, is so frequently duplicated, that it is in 
no sense remarkable, but the grace that arrests a 
man of his habits, and works a thorough trans- 
formation, must be regarded as marvellous. 
Along with others of the fire company he 
went to the altar and was soundly converted. 
These were soon transformed into workers, and 
before long one half of the whole department 
were won over to the side of Christ. 

On one occasion, and while a member of the 
department was on the floor speaking, an alarm of 
fire was sounded. They fled at once from the 
church, but discovering it to have been a ' 'false 
alarm," they returned and resumed their places 
as before. During their absence the time was 
spent in singing, and when they came back the 
brother who had been interrupted took the floor 
again, and beginning where he left off, he con- 



I36 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

eluded his remarks as if nothing had happened. 

We are not able to give the whole number 
converted, but the victory was so far complete 
that the old programme was revolutionized, and 
a new order of things established. On the last 
evening of Rro. Bitler's labor at Gallipolis, the 
"amen corner" was reserved for the firemen. 
Headed by the chief, they made their way 
through the crowded aisle and filed into their 
seats. After they were seated the chief rose up, 
and addressing the pastor, said, "Bro. Lewis, if 
you'll allow me, I'd like to make an announce- 
ment." Permission given, he proceeded to say: 
"Down at our hall awhile ago we passed a reso- 
lution, the substance of which is, that we would 
dispense with our annual ball on the 22nd of 
February, and have a prayer-meeting instead ; 
and we want all you good people to come and 
pray for us." 

The resolution was passed on the 6th of Feb- 
ruary, and reads as follows — 

"Resolved, That instead of our annual ball on 
the twenty-second of February, we hold a Union 
Prayer-meeting, and that an invitation be ex- 
tended to all the churches and the public in gen- 
eral." 

The prayer meeting was held on that date, ac- 
cording to announcement. It is estimated that 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 37 

five hundred persons were present. The time 
was devoted to prayer, testimony, and brief ad- 
dresses, and the meeting was said to be one of 
the most spiritual and profitable of any of the 
day meetings of the revival series. It began at 
half-past two, and closed at four o'clock. Bro. 
Lewis proposed a thank offering for the benefit 
of the department, and with true methodistic 
spirit, a collection was taken which amounted to 
twenty-eight dollars. Later on the firemen recip- 
rocated the favor, and held a festival for the pur- 
chase of a carpet for the Methodist church, and 
the proceeds netted ninety-two dollars. The 
general reformation which took place in the hearts 
of these men is further evidenced by the fact, 
that prior to the revival, it was customary at 
almost every meeting, to purchase a keg of beer 
and drink the liquor in their hall, but since then 
not a word has been said about a keg of beer. 
During a brief visit at Gallipolis, just four months 
after the resolution referred to was adopted, we 
were present when an alarm of fire called out 
the force. The fire was near a saloon ; but the 
chief called attention to the fact, that such was 
the good effect of the revival on the whole de- 
partment, that none of the men were seen to 
enter the saloon. We congratulate him on the 
fact, that five members of his own family are 



133 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 



expecting to be admitted into "full connection" 
with the church, and that so many of his asso- 
ciates will stand by him on that day. May the 
Gallipolis fire department always have grace in 
proportion to their grit, and meet at last where 
"alarms" are never sounded. 




CHAPTER XII. 

Gallipolis Revival, Continued. 

The Local Press. — Journal, Bulletin, Tribune, 
and District News. — Twenty Six Hundred 
and Fifty One. — The Dipper. — River Men. — 
All Aboard ! 

With files of the Gallipolis papers before us, 
we gratefully acknowledge the ample notices and 
abundant reports which they record. From the 
beginning to the close of the meetings, they 
kept up with the growing interest, and devoted 
many columns to the revival. They were loyal 
to the interests of the work, and contributed 
immensely to its success. They kept the people 
informed, and recited the details of every advance. 
They attracted the attention of multitudes, who 
came from the country, and distant points, to 
witness the marvellous results and carry the 
tidings home. Other papers throughout the 
State took up the story, and "noised abroad" the 
work of God. Friendly editorials, flaming head- 
lines, and abundant space devoted to the revival, 
gave it a prominence that inspired the workers at 



I4O NOISE IT ABROAD. 

home, and kindled faith and zeal in many revivals 
remote from Gallipolis. The number of papers 
throughout the State that made friendly allusion 
to the meeting, was so great, that after investi- 
gating the matter, we abandoned the intention of 
publishing a list of them. The news was printed 
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and in many 
places doxologies were sung in grateful appre- 
ciation. If ever we doubted the wisdom of 
' 'noising abroad" the work of God, by publishing 
revival accounts, this recent illustration of its in- 
fluence in quickening the struggling forces in 
other places, would suffice to dispel all misgiv- 
ings. 

The Cincinnati Commercial Gazette though 
furnished with a full and correct account, ignored 
the revival altogether, provoking another paper 
of opposite political faith, to say, ' 'Is it possible 
that that paper has no sympathy for, and 
takes no stock in great reformations!" We 
cannot hope always to enlist the secular press, 
but in this case doubtless, a Gallipolis social 
scandal, or political fight, would have been 
fully reported ; and it could hardly be said 
to be of more general interest to the mass of its 
readers, than a wholesale reformation like that of 
the great revival. Ordinarily the press recognized 
the value of the work being done, and the demand 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 141 

for extra numbers gave proof that it was abund- 
antly appreciated. Articles from the Gallipolis 
Journal, Bulletin and Tribune, would include a 
splendid account of the revival from the begin- 
ning to the close, and worthily detail the chief 
features of the meeting. The spirit and tone of 
these papers, as well as an index of the true state 
of the meeting, is seen in the following : 

"The revival at the M. E. Church is the most 
wonderful exhibition of religious feeling and fervor 
ever seen in this city. Its influence permeates the 
whole city. It is the topic of conversation every- 
where — in the household, in the store, in the shop, 
and even in the saloons. We trust the good seed 
thus sown, will bear fruit an hundred fold, and prove 
the reformation of the city. Religion is the purifier 
of human character. It destroys the dross in the 
soul and leaves it a pearl of beauty. The more the 
world has of it, the better is its condition." — Journal, 
Jan. 14, 1885. 

"The converts and accessions to the church, are 
not only now counted by scores, but by hundreds, 
and the tide is still rolling in. Daily and nightly 
the church, upstairs and down, is a jam, and many 
cannot be seated. Moody and Sankey's great meet- 
ings in Brooklyn and New York in 1876 did not ex- 
ceed in interest, in proportion to the population, the 
meetings here. In February of that year they opened 
their meetings under the auspices of the Young 



142 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

Men's Christian Association in the two halls of the 
great hippodrome, the largest accommodation in 
that city, and which when filled contained n,oco 
people. One thousand persons have been accommo- 
dated in the audience room of the church here, and 
nearly, if not quite as many more in the lecture room 
and gallery, and while thousands could not obtain 
entrance to Moody and Sankey's meetings in New 
York, hundreds could not be accommodated here. 
No inclemency of weather, no rush of business, no 
private matters, no nothing keeps away the people, 
as is often the case in the Summer season. 

Is this not wonderful for a city of 7,000 or 8,000 
inhabitants ? No man, however differing in views 
from the Methodists, can find it in his heart to 
condemn it. When hundreds of persons for the first 
time in their lives offer testimony to a neAv heart, we 
must believe there is reality in it. And there can be 
no sin in inviting people to serve God and forsake 
evil. Many may fail and fall back after a time ; but 
men fail at everything they undertake. It is only the 
few who are successful at anything they go at, but 
generally all are better for having tried, and many 
recuperate and succeed after many failures. Those 
who get the real, genuine religion, in our opinion do 
not fail. It is only those who are deceived by a false 
excitement, that discover after a time that they have 
no religion. If religion saves it saves. We all know 
excitement and scare do not change the average con- 
dition of a man ; but that men can and do reform 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 43 

until they are not the same is beyond all controversy 
and question." — Bulletin, Jan. 13, 1885. 

"The revival at the M. E. Church is the most won- 
derful meeting ever held in this part of Ohio. ' It 
has reached all parts of the city and all classes of 
people. It started with Sunday School scholars and 
has reached out until now business men, professional 
men, county officials,' firemen, saloonists, gamblers, 
drinkers, in short, the whole community is wrought 
up to a high state of excitement, and we presume 
more religious talking has been done in Gallipolis in 
the last six weeks than in six years before. Even 
church people look on in amazement, while all ex- 
claim "It is the Lord." Every citizen who loves 
order and decorum in the community should lend 
all the aid he can to promote the religious awaken- 
ing." — Tribune, Jan. 20, 1885. 

These papers were at times literally crowded 
with revival news — the Journal and Bulletin, 
sometimes devoting two columns and a half to 
the meetings. The Bulletin exceeded in headlines, 
of which the following, printed at the head of an 
article of two and a third columns in the issue of 
Feb. 3rd, is given as a sample: 



144 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 



THE SW0R.D OF THE LOUD 

and of mn 



" Saw ye not the clouds arise, 
Little as a human hand? 

Now it spreads along the skies, 
Hangs o'er all the thirsty 
land." 



BEAM S 

From Heaven Still 
Descending ! 



CLOUDS OF WITNESSES TES- 
TIFY THEIR SINS 
FORGIVEN. 



And Join the Ransomed 
Heirs of Heaven ! 



YOUNG MEN AND MAIDENS 
RAISE THEIR THANK- 
FUL VOICES HIGH. 



Old Men and Children, Praise 
the Lord of Earth and Sky ! 



From every stormy wind that 

blows, 
From every swelling tide of 

woes, 
There is a calm, a sure retreat— 
'Tis fouud beneath the Mercy 

Seat. 



THE GREAT METHODIST RE- 
VIVAL STILL BOOMING. 



i Bow to the Prince of Peace, 
Eternal Truth and Love ! 



362 Connect Themselves 
With the Church. 



The Membership Doubled »nd the Tide 
Still Boiling in. 



" All glory be to God on high, 
And to the earth be peace. 

Good - will henceforth from 
Heaven to men 
Begin and never cease." 



The Gallipolis District News literally gleamed 
with good news; not only with reference to the 
work being done in the city, but throughout the 
District. Between the alternatives of deciding 
whether the revival at Gallipolis was largely in- 
strumental in inspiring the results, or whether 
the descent of the Holy Spirit throughout the 
District was independently co-incident, we leave 
the reader to judge. In either view of the case, 
God is glorified in the triumphs achieved. Re- 




GALLIPOLIS MEMORIAL M. E. CHURCH. 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 4/ 

vivals were had in almost every charge, and the 
total number of conversions reported by the pre- 
siding Elder to May'i, is twenty-six hundred and 
fifty-one. 

A few of the pastors on the District received 
assistance directly from Gallipolis. Rev. L. C. 
Haddox, at Wellston, was favored with the help 
of Rev. P. P. Hamilton, a special evangelist, formerly 
a pastor in the Ohio Conference, but of recent 
years on the Supernumerary list, for the same 
reason that Bro. Bitler is in the local ranks, viz., 
to be an evangelist without appointment. The 
number of conversions at Wellston is reported 
at more than five hundred. Most of the pastors 
of the District labored without ministerial help, 
and the wide spread results affirm the fact that 
the revival was general. It would be impossible 
to estimate the amount of influence exerted upon 
the general aggregate of these marvellous results 
by the Gallipolis meeting. Noised abroad by 
the press ; witnessed by some of the preachers 
who went away imbued with its spirit ; wafted 
by the winds or heralded by common report, it 
became the centre of an attraction, and the source 
of an inspiration, that was felt far and wide. 
When the Holy Spirit condescends to employ 
every avenue of influence, and the work of revi- 
val is general, it is impossible to dissect and 
analyze primary causes. Here is a poetic view 



I48 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

oi the subject that discovers a vein of eloquence. 
At a jubilee meeting held at Proctorville, in the 
same District, one brother, in giving in his ex- 
perience said, as he was going home one evening 
he fell to gazing on the face of the Heavens. It 
seemed as if the moon never shone so beautifully, 
the stars never twinkled so brightly, and the sky- 
never seemed so deep and blue. And as he be- 
held, he saw the seven stars, and he thought of 
the seven spirits of God and the seven golden 
candlesticks. Then his eye caught the great 
dipper, and it came to him all at once, that the 
Lord had been using that dipper to pour out sal- 
vation on this people for the last six weeks. 
Without doubt the whole District was refreshed 
from the same "dipper," and salvation flooded 
the churches as never before. 

RIVER MEN. 

One very characteristic feature of the Gallipo- 
lis revival, was, that men were converted in 
schools or groups. A local paper gave the names 
of twenty-seven river men that had joined the 
Methodist church. There were represented 
master and pilot, mates, engineers, stewards, 
cooks, striker engineer, pantry-men, cabin watch- 
men, cabin boys, firemen and deck hands. 
Among the instances of unconscious influence 
was one that occurred on board the steamer Boone, 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 49 

plying between Charleston and Cincinnati. The 
Pilot, a gentleman well advanced in years and ex- 
perience, in looking down from the pilot house 
upon a boy of about fifteen years of age, noticed 
something strange in his demeanor. The boy 
had been very profane, but on this trip he was 
quiet and serious, and spent some of his time in 
reading a pocket testament. This roused the 
pilot to enquire of the captain, "What's the 
matter with that boy." The captain replied that 
the boy had been to the Methodist church and 
got converted. They both agreed that it was 
a good thing for the boy, and that he ought to 
be encouraged in it. On the down trip to Cin- 
cinnati and all the way back, the pilot watched 
the boy, and did some thinking besides. He 
came to the conclusion, that ' 'if there was some 
Divine power which could do that for a boy, why 
not for a man?" On his return to Gallipolis, 
though not in the habit of going to church, he 
thought he would go and see for himself. During 
the service he stood up and said, "Christians pray 
for me. " His wife had been converted sitting by 
his side in the church, and he afterward went to 
the altar and was saved. 

Our sources of information will not justify an 
exact estimate of the number of river men saved, 
but there were others besides those already enu- 
merated ; and their number, habits, and inaccessi- 



5o 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 



bility, taken into account, makes a marvellous 
record, and serves to illustrate the power and 
extent of the Gallipolis revival. It even justifies 
the display headlines of the Gallipolis Bulletin of 
Feb. 9th, which we append in fac simile. It may 
serve as a sample, for it is well to remember, that 
chief among Bro. Bitler's methods is the employ- 
ment of all friendly agencies to "noise abroad" 
the work of God. In this case the press of the 
city was not only friendly, but it may be said to 
have flamed with revival news, and was made the 
subject of special comment on several different 
occasions by both ministers in charge. 



609! 



Are You All 
Aboard ? 



J SLOWING WE OF THE 

smpiEHiu 

Yet the Good Old Ship 

of Zion lingers in 

the Harbor, 



WAITING FOR THE LAST 

BELATED STRAGGLER 

TO COME IN. 



Sweel Farewells and Waving 
Signals iVafted to the Hap- 
py Crew, and Borne 
Along Like 

8PICI BREEZES, 'NEATB ( KV- 
LON'SSKI OK BLUE. 



Jacob, With All His Tribes, Shall 
Sing, and Judah Weep No More, 



When Every :oul On Ssird thit Ship 
Shail Beach lbs Chining Shore I 



Pb»re everlasting *(jrlni? ahi' 

Acd u-ver-with 1 
l>- ath. like a narrow sea, di 

This heavenly lai.d from 



i is bevond the swelling fiool 
.Stand dressed In lit ir.g green : 
Sn to the Jews old Canaan llo "1, 
While Jordan rolled between.. 



ouIJ we bui climb where Moses stood, 

And view the land-cape o'jr, 
!«t Jordan's stream, nor death's cold Mood 

Should Wight os from ih<? abort,. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Gallipolis Revival, Concluded. 

Great Sinners — Deliverance from Bondage — 
Saloon Interests — Amusing Persecutions — 
Testimonial from the Mayor of the City — 
"Refugees" — Prohibition of the Liquor 
Traffic. 

Experiences that dwell on previous wickedness 
are to be discouraged. The tendency to boast of 
former badness savors of pride, and seems like 
glorying in shame. But we must not forget that 
the salvation of a great sinner is a better illustra- 
tration of the power of grace, than an ordinary 
case of conversion. The grace that comes to 
the heart of a child, saves it from the commission 
of sin, and terminates the life in piety, is greater 
than an abrupt transformation from vice to virtue, 
and more to be desired. But it seems less a mar- 
vel. That "Jesus came to save sinners," has a 
better illustration in the rescue of the profligate 
and abandoned, than the conversion of youth, 
where the possibilities of future sin are hidden 
from view, and grace interposes a barrier that 

151 



152 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

turns the current of years to a better life. The 
testimony of a saved man, whose life has not vio- 
lated the social standards of morality, has ^posi- 
tive worth. That of one whose record has been 
one of flagrant violations may have a negative, as 
well as a positive value, as an exhibition of the 
power of grace. If it be given with any motive, 
other than that of glorifying God, it is justly 
subject to criticism, and ought to be discouraged. 
With this end in view, we have ventured a few 
glimpses into the pit whence some of these con- 
verts were taken. It must not be supposed that 
such cases were so numerous as to give caste and 
color to the revival. Naturally more stress was 
laid upon them by the people and the press, but 
the great majority of converts were from families 
usually represented in the church or congregation. 
First among the "hard cases," we think it 
just to rank the moralist. That the revival reached 
some of this class who had been too good to re- 
pent, and too hardened to yield, and who had 
passed through former revivals without any ma- 
terial change, must be accepted as proof of its 
power, scarcely paralleled by the conversion of 
the most abandoned sinner. If the reader doubts 
the propriety of classing these with hard cases, 
we reply that St. Paul had the same class in view 
when he said, "they being ignorant of God's 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1: 5 3 

righteousness, and going about to establish their 
own righteousness, have not submitted themselves 
to the righteousness of God. " They are hard to 
reach, and many of them stood the fire of all 
that marvellous pentecost without a sign of sur- 
render. Past revivals, personal appeals, visible 
demonstrations of the power of God, and more 
than six hundred conversions about them, left 
them more firmly intrenched than ever before. 
True, their ranks were broken and depleted, but 
it seemed to take them longer to yield to God and 
receive the Savior, after bowing at the altar, than 
others who came all the way from flagrant sin. 

In the preparation of this volume we have 
found it difficult to secure the various phases of 
personal testimony as they were presented at the 
meeting, and it has been made a delicate task to 
treat the subject, because a number whose cases 
were so remarkable as to justify special mention, 
are desirous that the past be forgotten and its 
record omitted. In deference to this request we 
make no mention of some experiences that be- 
long to this chapter. On one occasion Bro. Bit- 
ler desired to know how many persons were 
present that could testify to the following, viz., 
That they had been addicted to strong drink ; 
that they had experienced a change while at the 
altar ; and since that time, they were either de- 



154 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

livered from the appetite entirely, or could now 
deny themselves without inconvenience. Twenty- 
seven men stood up in response to that inquiry. 
The same question was put with regard to pro- 
fanity, and it was desired to know how many 
persons could testify that heretofore they swore 
almost unconscious]}-, as ifithad become a "second 
nature ;" and who had experienced the same 
change at the altar, and now were free from either 
the desire or tendency to swear. Eighty-six 
persons arose in response to this. Bro. Bitlcr 
then inquired for a lawyer if any were present, 

when some one said that Judge H , was in 

the house. Addressing him, Bro. Bitler wanted 
to know if this testimony would be taken in court. 
The Judge replied in the affirmative, and the wit- 
nesses were seated. 

We give the facts without attempting an ex- 
planation of the philosophy of this change. 
That it may prove but temporary, in some cases, 
we have no doubt. That temptation may assail 
them, is proved by the fact, that "the servant is 
not above his master." Whether deliverance 
from an appetite, or an appetency, is more than 
a mental change, arising from a moral transfor- 
mation, we leave the reader to surmise. It can- 
not be doubted, however, that men are delivered 
from what are usually termed appetites for stim- 



L 



NOISE IT ABROAD. I 5 J 

ulates, narcotics, etc., in many instances. 
Whether it be simply the triumph of moral 
forces over the physical nature, or whether it be 
noetic — originating in the mind — is a question 
that does not trouble the helpless inebriate, or 
inveterate sinner. The fact of deliverance is be- 
yond doubt, and any sinner may be saved. 

The saloon interests of Gallipolis were very 
materially effected by the revival. Aside from 
the direct influence of the meeting, there was an 
indirect influence, that seemed to pervade the 
whole community, and saioonists suffered most. 
Receipts fell off in a few instances, from the 
usual Saturday night income, of from seventy- 
five and one hundred dollars, to the meagre sums 
of three and four dollars. Among smaller con- 
cerns the tills were sorely destitute of change. 
This statement is verified by competent men, 
and the fraternity is reported as "grumbling now, 
and holding on for better times." An article 
from Rev. F. R. Crooks, to the Western Christian 
Advocate, has the following on ''Gallipolis Saloon- 
keepers and the Revival." 

' 'The Gallipolis saloon-keepers are as mad as 
"March hares, " and are cursing the preachers 
andthe Church. Their "biases of peesncss" look 
as lonesome as our churches formerly did. These 
human vultures have had it all their own way for 



15^ NOISE IT ABROAD. 

a long time. Steadily they have moved up from 
the lowest quarters of the city until they occupy 
the finest locations, and as steadily have they 
raked into their bloody tills the money of the city 
and country on both sides of the river until, like 
"Jeshurun, " "they waxed fat and kicked." But 
the day of retribution has come. Saloons, which 
before the revival took in from S75 to $100, re- 
ceive now from $2 to S3. The leading saloonist 
was so fearful that the others were getting his 
trade that he sent spies to all he saloons in the 
city, but alas, not a sound broke the awful silence. 
"Gone to the revival. " It is amusing to see them 
out on the Street drumming up custom. As a 
converted toper was passing a saloon the bar- 
tender stepped to the door and said: "Come in, 
come in." "Not now." "Come in and drink 
atmy expense." "No, sir." "Bin up gittin' 
some of Bitler's religion, have ye ! I have just 
taken two drinks, and that's the religion that 
suits me." "I have tried your religion for four 
years; have given you all my money, and a mort- 
gage on my body and soul, and I believe I like 
Bitler's best. " I submit this question, Can the 
Church defend these young converts against the 
human ghouls?" 

The convert referred to is reported, at this 
writing (June 4), to be of the same mind he 



NOISE IT ABROAD. I 57 

was in the winter, and prefers the Bitler religion 
still. 

We find among the revival notes, in a Gallipo- 
lis paper, a brief statement that seems to indicate 
that the author of the above article is not held in 
very high esteem by the " Sons of Belial," It 
reads as follows : 

' ' During protracted meeting services at Cham- 
bersburg, last week, some miscreant shaved the 
tail of Rev. Crooks' horse, cut the bridle to 
pieces, and cut and carried away the side pieces 
to his saddle to sole their ' ornery ' shoes with. 
If Rev. Crooks comes up with him he'll be 
apt to convert him by the old patent plan, which 
is next thing to sudden death." 

Once, on a previous occasion, the writer gave 
offense to the liquor fraternity in Gallipolis, and 
" some miscreant "retaliated with his knife. But 
nothing was hurt but the harness, and we drove 
away from the vicinity of a leading saloon proud 
as a martyr. 

Observing in one of the Gallipolis papers a very 
remarkable statement with reference to the effect 
of the meeting on the morals of the city, we wrote 
to the Mayor to ascertain its truth, and received 
the following document in reply : 

March 17, A. D. 1885. 
C. F. Creighton, Circleville, O.: 

My Dear Brother — Your kind and I assure 



158 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

you welcome letter of yesterday came to-day, 
and I take pleasure in answering your question. 
I will give you a short statement from my crim- 
inal docket, and you will see a vast difference in 
the amount of crime being committed in Gal- 
lipolis: 

During the month of Dec, 1883, arrests, - 50 

Jan./ 1884, " - 31 

Feb., " " - 30 

Up to March 17. 1884, arrests, - - - - 17 

128 

During the month of Dec, 1884, arrests, - 29 

" * " " Jan., 1885, " - 16 

' ' Feb. not one arrest, - OO 

Up to March 17, number of arrests, - - 10 

55 
I think you can see by this that the coming of 
Bro. Bitler and the Spirit of the Lord has done 
wonders for Gallipolis, and it is not only for to- 
day, but I am fully satisfied that it is for all time 
to come. You will notice that no arrests were 
made during the month of February. When I 
made my monthly report to- the City Council at 
the end of that month, no arrests, it was ordered 
spread upon the minutes as something unheard 
of. I hope you may have as good, if not bet- 
ter, results in your city as we have had in this, 
place, and may the Lord be with you. 
Respectfully, 

Jno. M. Alexander, Mayor. 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 59 

This paper, under his official seal, and signed 
by the Mayor of the city, is a contribution to 
revivalistic literature that commends itself to the 
practical sense of all lovers of law and order. It 
was presented among the responses at our Jubi- 
lee meeting held at Circleville, and its reading 
evoked a thundering doxology. 

REFUGEES. 

Among the "Refugees" that fled from the 
great revival was a saloonist, that "found no rest 
for the sole of his foot" when last heard from. 
The Pastor of West Rushville Charge, Rev. Ira 
M. Brashares, contributes the following : 

About the last of February, 1885, there ap- 
peared at Bremen, Ohio — a village more than one 
hundred miles from Gallipolis — a stranger whose 
habit was somewhat neglected. Though once 
fine, it was much worn, and indicated a declension 
in worldly prosperity. In conversation with a 
citizen of the place, he said he was from Gallipo- 
lis, that for years past he had had a prosperous 
business, and all went well until recently. Bit- 
ler's revival had depressed his trade, and he was 
looking for a better location. When asked as to 
what he was engaged in, he replied that he was 
a saloon keeper, but there was no trade in that 
line. His property and stock were depreciated, 



J 6o NOISE IT ABROAD. 

and he was willing to sell at fifty cents on the 
dollar, and he wanted a town without a Metho- 
dist church. The Bremen citizen pointed to the 
spire of the Methodist church near by, and pre- 
sumed that he wouldn't be suited there. The 
saloonist then inquired about the next town up 
the Ohio Central R. R; when informed that 
Rushville, and West Rushville, were but four 
and a half miles distant, he wanted to know if 
they had live preachers over there. The citizen 
informed him that Rushville had just closed a re- 
vival with one hundred conversions, and West 
Rushville was then in the midst of one in which 
sixty had been converted, and the work just 
fairly begun. Muttering something about revi- 
vals he turned his back on Bremen, and like 
Dryden's bird of passage, "northward he took 
his way." 

The following from the Ross County Register of 
February 28, 1885, is an editorial that serves a 
double purpose, and we reproduce it entire. 

Not long since we remember to have published an 
account, from the Gallipolis Journal, of a remarkable 
religious revival then in progress in that town, in 
which it was mentioned as if it were a singular fea- 
ture of the occasion, that no "special effort was made 
to pulverize the rum power." And yet we read that 
the habitues of saloons and saloon-keepers were 



NOISE IT ABROAD. l6l 

among those drawn into the meetings, and that not a 
feAv of the first class, and some of the latter, had be- 
come converts to religion and had started out to lead 
a new life. We are reminded of this matter at this 
time on reading an account in a Waverly paper of 
the recent coming to that town of a Gallipolis saloon- 
keeper, in search of a new location, because, as he 
said, his business in that town had been ruined by 
the religious uprising referred to, and he had found 
it necessary to go elsewhere. Can not ministers 
draw from this a suggestion worthy of their serious 
attention in the matter of conducting religious reviv- 
als? It has often occurred to us that if more 
work had been given to the preaching of old-fash- 
ioned gospel sermons, and less to special efforts to 
"crush the rum power," that both temperance and 
religion would be far in advance of what they are 
to-day. For after all is said and done, the most 
effectual way ever devised to put down the liquor 
business is to persuade people not to drink. A relig- 
ious revival like the one lately occurring in Gallipo- 
lis is worth more to the cause of temperance than a 
dozen Maine laws. The one draws liquor drinkers 
and sellers into the churches — makes friends of 
them, as it were ; while the other, in antagonizing 
and treating them as outcasts and criminals, drives 
them away from the churches and often makes them 
hate the very name of religion. There is good reas- 
on for the Church to change its methods in this 
regard. 

That weekly papers at a distance published 
accounts of that great revival, not only serves to 



162 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

indicate its marvelous character, but also the im- 
mense advantage of securing the favor of the 
local press. The incident quoted from a Waver - 
ly paper is but another flying spark, and if we 
could but survey the whole field, scintillations of 
various sorts, would doubtless appear in many 
places. The lesson drawn from the facts stated, 
is hardly legitimate. We have heard others de- 
clare, in the light of the Gallipolis and Circle- 
ville revivals, that prohibition was not the thing ; 
but while viewing the work from its centre, and 
from every side, we were of a different opinion. 
If legal prohibition had been in vogue at the time 
of these revivals, the number of conversions 
would have been increased by hundreds. Had 
law closed the pit, gospel would have captured 
the whole concern, and kept it captured too. The 
one unanimous answer given by saloon-keepers 
when urged to become christians, was, "I can't 
give up my business." With no "law" to help 
them to let go, they clung to it in hope of better 
times. With a Maine law, prohibiting the saloon 
under adequate penalties, the road in that direc- 
tion would not have been the brilliant financial 
temptation it was, and the number saved would 
have been proportionately augmented. A ftw 
men that sold liquor were converted, but the whole 
number in both revivals did not exceed seven or 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 63 

eight ; and if the after influence of the saloons 
is counted, we paid dear for them, by the loss of 
a greater number that were recaptured by the 
arts of the liquor fraternity. The few that were 
saved are splendid trophies, but they were excep- 
tional men, and naturally out of place in a saloon. 

We needed prohibition after the revival more 
than before. For, with a horde of hungry fel- 
lows waiting for their old customers, and many 
of them using every device to secure them ; 
sluicing the pavements with beer wash, and load- 
ing the very atmosphere with its fumes, it was 
an awful gauntlet for reformed men to run, and 
required sleepless vigilence on the part of the 
church to protect and encourage them. It was 
a defensive war the writer can never forget. Any 
pastor, that has tried to conserve the fruits of a 
great revival, will be a firm advocate of Consti- 
tutional and Statutory prohibition. Let it come 
as it may, but close the grog shops, and give the 
boys an even chance. 

For the aggressive work of soul-saving, and 
for the defense of the church in keeping them 
saved, we want prohibition, and, by the grace of 

God WE ARE GOING TO HAVE fT. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

CIRCLEVILLE REVIVAL. 
Elements of Preparation — Field of Battle. 

Heralded by the news of the great revival at 
Gallipolis, Bro. Bitler came to Circleville with 
a degree of prestige that made his coming a 
matter of popular interest. His fame had been 
so thoroughly " noised abroad " that he was not 
only expected to do great things, but became at 
once an object of curiosity. It was at times 
amusing to see the inquisitive crowds that gazed 
upon him as he passed by, and hear the various 
remarks expressive of all sorts of opinion as to 
what he would do. Not only the results at 
Gallipolis, but the fact that at the session of the 
Ohio Conference held in Circleville his deter- 
mination to become an evangelist was made pub- 
lic and officially acted upon, gave unusual inter- 
est to his work in this place. Some of the 
brethren of this charge had taken up the dis- 
cussion where the Conference left it, and were 
very decidedly of the opinion that the young 
man had made a mistake in locating in order to 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 65 

enter the evangelistic work. This state of things 
might ordinarily embarrass any christian minister, 
but if Bro. Bitler ever felt it, he never showed it, 
and dashed into his work as if totally oblivious to 
surroundings. The general interest which had 
been awakened was greatly to his advantage, 
and as a result no time was lost in securing the 
attention of the people. 

In anticipation of a great revival, and without 
regard to the coming of an evangelist, one no- 
ticeable feature deserves to be remarked, viz., 
that the faithful christian workers of the church 
had from the first expressed implicit faith in the 
coming of a remarkable revival. The announce- 
ment of his coming increased their expectation 
and stimulated faith, but aside from this their 
belief in what was in store for them was remarka- 
ble. This found abundant proof when, near the 
close of the Gallipolis meeting, it was announced 
that his coming was very uncertain and that they 
must prepare themselves to be finally disap- 
pointed. The result was such an expression of 
continued faith as the pastor never before wit- 
nessed, and, since he shared in it himself, there 
was no temptation to doubt the final result. 
The following circular, written by the pastor and 
addressed to every member of the church, may 
serve to indicate the spirit of expectancy that 



1 66 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

prevailed, as well as one of the items of general 
preparation resorted to in enlisting the church 
for effective work : 

"A Serious Call to the Members and Friends 

of the Methodist Episcopal Church 

of Circleville, Ohio. 

"Members of the Official Hoard [Stewards, Trus- 
tees and Leaders) ; Office/s and Teachers of the 
Sabbath School; Members of the Church and 
Congregation : 

" Dear Brothers and Sisters — As your ser- 
vant in the Gospel of Christ, permit me to sound 
the trumpet call for a grand rally of all our f< trees. 
Believing that the time has come for a general 
advance all along the line, and that God will 
lead us on to one of the greatest moral victories 
we have ever witnessed, I hereby appeal to 
every one of you, both old and young, to be 
present at all our services during the present v. tek, 
so that it shall be the grand 7 a Hying week of what 
shall be known in the future as the great revival 
of 1885." 

We began the meetings on the fourth day of 
January, and labored incessantly until reinforced 
by Bro. Bitler. During about two weeks of that 
time Mrs. E. A. Whitridge, of Cincinnati, ren- 
dered valuable service, and the work of holiness 



NOISE IT ABROAD. \6j 

was greatly revived under her efficient labors. 
We were not rewarded with a great number of 
conversions, but felt that the way was being 
prepared for future results. 

On the evening before the coming" of the 
evangelist we enjoyed a season of Pentecost, 
and five souls were happily converted. We 
speak of this season of preparation for a double 
purpose. First, to encourage those who may 
anticipate the coming of an evangelist in the 
work of preparing the way. Unless the pre- 
liminary work is protracted too long, so as to 
weary the people, its importance can hardly be 
over-estimated. Second, Bro. Bitler desires that 
mention be made of the fact that in this meeting 
he found the elements so ready to his hand that 
no time was lost in getting into the heart of the 
revival, and that this peculiar ripeness was ex- 
ceptional. Most of the converts of the pre- 
ceding revival had kept " in the spirit " during 
the year, and the young people were eager for 
conquest. The "old guard" of regulars, that 
are always at their post, were ' ' full of faith 
and of the Holy Ghost," and wounded sin- 
ners were beginning to show symptoms of con- 
viction. 

Thoroughly acquainted with the altar and its 
surroundings, a multitude of christian workers 



IOb NOISE IT ABROAD. 

were ready to kneel there or gather about it at 
the first call, while quite a number were becom- 
ing familiar with the work of personal solicita- 
tion, both in the congregation and out of it. 
Every church has a band of saints, and however 
few in number, or great the hindrances that 
stand in the way, if they will get such a conse- 
cration to the work of God that they stand ready 
to go to work when the word is given, a revival 
is not far distant. Alas, for many, they seem to 
think that when fully consecrated they have only 
to sit down and let the Lord use them. But the 
Lord can't use sitting soldiers. They must get 
up and go at it in a hand to hand conflict; and if 
timid and fearful they must keep at it until they 
conquer themselves, and then they will begin to 
conquer for God. In the great Circleville re- 
vival the multitudes were "hand picked," 
chiefly b) personal persuasion in the audience. 
The few that came without individual solicita- 
tion owe their coming largely to the influence of 
currents that were kept moving by this constant 
work of "compelling" others to come in. 
When the workers wearied, and the attack was 
delayed, the work lagged, and but for the ex- 
haustion that compelled us to rest, we have no 
doubt that five hundred other souls could have 
been reached and saved. If we were asked for 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 69 

the chief factor of influence that characterized 
this revival, other than the divine influence and 
the personal power of the evangelist, we should 
reply, with emphasis, that it depended almost 
wholly on personal solicitation in the congregation. 
Starting with the old soldiers — many of them a 
year old — each new convert became a mission- 
ary, and our ranks filled up as the battle went 
on. Instead of spiking the guns as they were 
taken, they were turned on the enemy and 
made to do execution from the first. No defer- 
ence was paid to the tastes of that class of sin- 
ners that resent personal appeals in the congre- 
gation. Their threats of staying away from the 
meetings were seldom executed, and the work- 
ers were given to understand that an occasional 
haughty rebel had better be kept at home, than 
that a multitude perish for want of friendly 
hands to pull them out of the fire. 

Sometimes the congregation was dismissed 
with the benediction for the purpose of excusing 
any that were not willing to be subjected to the 
annoyance of personal appeals, but, so far as we 
could see, nobody went away. A hundred or 
two could have been easily spared, and their 
room utilized in getting about among the mass 
that remained, for, during the whole series, the 
immense throng crowded to the very pulpit as 
if hungering for the bread of life. 



IfO NOISE IT ABROAD. 

It is a part of Bro. Bitler's plan to spend no 
time with dead church members, and if the 
church will not go to work at once he must do 
a vast amount of personal work himself, and 
when a few are saved he sets them to work. 
In several instances he has been obliged to 
reach his hand beyond the old members and get 
hold of fresh material to begin with, but precious- 
time was lost in getting started. Unless the 
church wakes up, at some time, and becomes 
ntified with the conversion of sinners 
in this way, it is almost certain that the young- 
converts will be left in bad hands when the 
revival is over. 

THE FIELD OF BATTLE. 

On the ninth da)- of February the "man of 

God " whom we had been anxiously awaiting, 
came to our relief and took the forces in hand at 
our request. On the first day the ' ' banner " was 
flung to the breeze, and the scripture mottoes 
were hung up on the walls of the church. The 
multitude in attendance, the first half hour of 
spirited singing, and the presence of the evan- 
gelist himself, combined to make the impression 
universal that a revival is coming. 

The very first prayer cries for five hundred 
souls, and it is doubtful if even the devil has 




CIKCLEVILLE M. E. CHURCH. 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1/ I 

any doubts about the revival. We have previ- 
ously intimated that very characteristic policy 
that runs through Bro. Bitler's methods from 
the beginning, viz. , to make the 'most of adver- 
tisement. He utilizes every favorable indication 
and brings it immediately to notice. Hence, in 
perfect accord with this method the first service 
is wholly given to an account of the marvelous 
revival at Gallipolis. No more thrilling sermon 
can be delivered than an account of what God is 
doing. It will strengthen believers, attract sin- 
ners, and lead all to anticipate a repetition of the 
same results. So it proved, and though no effort 
was made to secure seekers that night, the meet- 
ing was an immense contribution of every ele- 
ment of power for future aggressive work. In 
this connection it may be well to remark that 
the evangelist continued to utilize the impressive 
scenes witnessed at Gallipolis from time to time, 
until we had a sufficient amount of the same ma- 
terial for which to praise God at home. In re- 
counting that work he informed the audience 
that he might in the future become somewhat 
liable to criticism for so frequent reference to 
Gallipolis, and illustrated his danger by the 
story o\ a pastor who had formerly resided 
at Jamestozvn. On moving to another place he 
carried his attachments with him, and kept up 



1/2 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

an incessant reference to Jamestown. What 
happened at Jamestown, and how things were 
done at Jamestown, were so frequently referred 
to, that one dear sister had inadvertantly con- 
ceived the idea that Jamestown wasn't far from 
heaven. So on one occasion, while narrating 
her experience, she said that she was striving 
very hard to get to heaven. Sometimes she 
felt sure she would get there, but at other times 
she had grave doubts ; but, on the whole, she 
believed that even if she failed at last to get to 
heaven, she was sure that she would get as far 
as Jamestown. Tt was very evident that hea- 
venly influences had visited Gallipolis, but with 
a repetition of the same precious manifestations 
at Circleville the temptation to revisit the former 
place very soon disposed of itself, and Bro. Hitler 
gracefully transferred his references to the latter. 
We can furnish no adequate description of the 
force and thrilling pathos with which the evan- 
gelist reviewed the scenes and incidents of the 
Gallipolis revival. It was, so far as eloquent 
and vivid description could make it, a repetition 
of the revival itself, and the audience were moved, 
melted and fired, to a degree beyond anything we 
had ever before witnessed. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Circleville Revival, Continued. 

Three Hundred Conversions in Three Weeks. 
Young Men — Noising it Abroad—" Holding 
Out" — Holiness Commended — Young People's 
Meetings — Five Hundred and Forty Con- 
versions. 

Reserving the minutia of Mr. Bitler's methods 
for another place, we omit them from their proper 
order in this chapter, and proceed with a general 
account of what transpired. 

From the date of presenting the altar for pen • 
itents — about the third night of the meeting — 
the number of seekers steadily increased, and in 
three weeks the number of conversions had 
reached three hundred. An average of one hun- 
dred conversions per week must be regarded as 
phenomenal, especially in view of the fact that 
they were chiefly adults. 

There had been very few religious young men 
in the city. An effort to organize a Y.M.C A. 
had failed for want of timber. It was reported 
that just prior to the great revival, only nine 



174 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

christian young men could be found in all the 
churches. This was an understatement, for the 
Methodist church could show a greater number 
as the fruit of the previous year, together with 
others formerly converted. It is true, however, 
that devoted young men were scarce in all the 
churches. Among those converted was a large 
number of young men, and during the first three 
weeks of the meeting their numbers exceeded 
that of the young ladies. A daily service at 10 
a. m., was given to them, and conducted almost 
wholly by themselves, at which a number were 
led to seek the Lord ; and the reports of conver- 
sions in their meetings became a factor of daily 
interest to the meetings at large. The afternoon 
service was devoted to the same controlling idea 
of getting sinners converted. The altar was 
presented, and almost every occasion was marked 
with results. While these afternoon meetings 
were run on this line, and the whole trend of 
thought, conversation, and work, sought the con- 
version of sinners, they were by no means de- 
void of variety, and the evangelist was especially 
happy in presenting something new for each ser- 
vice. For instance, on one occasion after read- 
ing a part of the second chapter of Acts, and 
briefly commenting on the wisdom of noising 
abroad the work of the Holy Spirit, he asked 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 75 

the congregation to report the evidences of God's 
presence in this city. He called out testimony 
from perhaps fifty persons, by urging the people 
to speak of cases of awakening, conversations 
had with sinners, promises made to attend the 
meetings or seek the Lord, and such other indi- 
cations of the presence of the Holy Spirit as 
had come under their observation. This was 
early in the series of meetings and before many 
signs of general awakening were observed ; but 
on bringing in all this testimony, the congrega- 
tion were led to see that God was working in 
every part of the city, and among all classes of 
the community. Bro. Bitler and a few others 
believed that such was the case before these re- 
ports were made, but after such testimony the 
whole church believed it and marvelled. This 
was another method of noising- it abroad, and its 
result was an inspiration to the church that set 
them to work with renewed courage, and it made 
sinners feel like guilty men with somt body watch- 
ing them. 

At one stage of the meeting, the chief reply- 
that workers met was, "I'm afraid if I start I 
can't hold out." This went to such a pitch that 
an impression began to prevail that backsliders 
made up the mass of sinners ; and indeed their 
numbers in every community is alarming. In 



T 76 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

this case, the fact of their numbers began to be 
used against the revival, and it was said that in 
the future the whole list of converts would go 
the same way. This impression against revivals 
was becoming a stumbling block to very many. 
The devil sought to array an army of backsliders 
against us, and not only block the way for the 
coming of raw sinners, but vitiate and capture 
the whole meeting. This was met in the after- 
noon service, by the evangelist raising the ques- 
tion of "holding out." Beginning with those 
converted at the previous meeting he asked them 
to stand up. Then proceeded with those of last 
week, and so on back to more than fifty years 
until all the christians in the house were on their 
feet. As each class, representing a week or a 
year, stood up, they were asked to testify as to 
God's ability to keep them during that length of 
time, and as they did so the whole ground was 
covered and the host of saved people were arrayed 
against an army of backsliders. Thus God's 
ability to keep men saved was made as prominent 
as the matter of blacksliding had been before, 
and the impression was made that guilty deser- 
tions were inexcusable and wholly unnecessary. 
These are but samples of the means employed 
to awaken interest and keep things fresh and new. 
It may be doubted whether or not the subject 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 77 

of personal holiness ought to have been more 
frequently presented. These large afternoon 
meetings were made up chiefly of young con- 
verts and older christians, and it seemed specially 
propitious that the "riches of grace" be presented, 
and the privilege of believers to enjoy "the full- 
ness of the blessing of the gospel of peace," 
urged upon their acceptance. This was not done 
to any great extent, except as the pastor occa- 
sionally introduced it. We are firmly of the 
opinion that if the Circleville meeting had been 
run on the "double track" of full salvation and 
the conversion of sinners, from the beginning, with 
the general mass meetings conducted just as they 
were, and the afternoons devoted more specifically 
to the subject of christian holiness, that the re- 
sults would have been greater in the aggregate, 
and the whole mass would have been pervaded 
with a spirit of grace and power beyond that 
which characterizes the ordinary revival. Sin- 
ners in attendance at the day meetings would 
have been reached just as surely, and the baptism 
of the Holy Ghost on the young converts and 
older workers, would have toned up the night 
meetings to a spiritual level far beyond that al- 
ready enjoyed. Experience with both methods 
has forced this conviction, both as to successful 
work in bringing 1 sinners to Christ, and in secur- 



173 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

ing permanence and stability in the after results. 
This brief criticism must not be misunderstood. 
There was much of real spiritual food, and the 
evangelist was not wanting in applying the ele- 
ments of divine promise and provision. It was 
a good place to grow in grace, and many were 
spiritually quickened. The lack we urge is largely 
one of method. We insist, that the only char- 
acteristic improvement, that it seems to us, would 
have greatly added to the splendid success of 
this great meeting, would have been, a vein of 
deep spiritual power that is known to character- 
ize the work of christian holiness when it is spe- 
cifically presented. A wave of this sort, begin- 
ning early in the revival, and sweeping across the 
entire series of day meetings, would have added 
to their effectiveness by making them a mighty 
factor of spiritual power, and an abiding force 
after the transient excitement was over and the 
personal power of the evangelist ceased to be 
felt. This suggestion has grown out of a degree 
of familiarity with this work, and a candid view 
of all its details and after labors, and will be ap- 
preciated by those whose experience in permanent 
and powerful revivals has made them competent 
to judge. Bro. Bitler himself acknowledges the 
force of this suggestion. While heartily endors- 
ing the specific work of entire sanctification, and 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 79 

as he trusts, in the enjoyment of the same grace 
he received at Urbana, he has received a com- 
mission especially addressed to the conversion of 
sinners. As in the case of Rev. Thomas ^Harri- 
son, whose testimony on this subject rings out 
clear and strong, and yet whose efforts are wholly 
exerted and powerfully blessed to the conversion 
of sinners, so Bro. Bitler's gifts are peculiarly 
adapted to the same specific work. It would not 
be wise in his case perhaps, to attempt to supply 
the demand we have referred to. Let the focus 
be held on the consciences of the unregenerate, 
but the ideal of a great revival, in all its apostolic 
fullness, is more nearly reached, and most pow- 
erfully realized, when the Baptism of the Holy 
Ghost 'as the special privilege of believers is clearly 
presented and tremendously experienced. All 
the fruits of the Spirit were visible at this meet- 
ing, and in general the power and presence of 
the Holy Ghost was felt. Its outward manifes- 
tation however, was chiefly seen in the awakening 
and conversion of sinners. We urge the impor- 
tance of pressing the work of holiness among 
believers, as simply an additional element of re- 
vival power, which the pastor may see fit to urge 
"clearly, strongly, and explicitly," in perfect 
harmony" with the work and methods of the evan- 
gelist. 



l80 NOISE IT ABROAD. 



YOUNG PEOPLE'S MEETING. 

Each evening a service for young people was 
held, beginning an hour before the main service 
in the audience room. Besides about a hundred 
who were christians, others attended who were 
not, but the meeting was not intended so much 
to secure immediate results as to prepare for 
work. The hour was spent in prayer and testi- 
mony, and in securing volunteers for the field of 
battle. The necessity and advantages of person- 
al appeals in the congregation, was clearly pre- 
sented and urged ; and as many as were willing 
to go out on this mission as soon as the invitation 
was given, were requested to rise. Then those 
who felt unable to take the field, but desired 
strength to do so, were invited to rise, and the 
remaining moments were spent kneeling about 
the altar, and pleading with God for grace and 
power to do this work. Thus prepared for duty 
the whole band of young people were marched 
right into the main congregation. 

This method was very effective, both in devel- 
oping a company of workers, and in securing 
results. If it had not been so prematurely dis- 
continued it doubtless would have become the 
chief factor of the series of meetings, but it was 



NOISE IT ABROAD. l8l 

destined to be crushed to death very soon after 
its inauguration. The crowds that filled the upper 
room long before the time of service, made it 
difficult to reserve places for the young people, 
and finally we were compelled to abandon the 
idea of a separate meeting. 

Indeed, the audience room was so crowded 
that it was impossible to make room for peni- 
tents to kneel at the altar. When the lower 
room was thrown open it was also filled, and as 
a result two meetings were held at the same 
time, with an altar at each meeting, and conver- 
sions constantly occurring. Subsequent meth- 
ods of employing the lower room as a place of 
inquiry for seekers, and of appointing occa- 
sional hours in which to meet and converse with 
them, will be recited elsewhere. The young- 
people, though interrupted in their plan of 
work, were not left entirely without special 
meetings. Occasional hours were devoted to 
them, and after their numbers had been greatly 
increased by new recruits, some of their meet- 
ings were immense gatherings. Their meetings 
on Saturday evenings, and on the Sabbath, were 
always attended with splendid results and marked 
manifestations of power. On one occasion Bro. 
Bitler spent a Saturday evening assisting at a 
meeting out of town, and left the pastor to con- 



1 82 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

duct the young peoples' meeting alone. It was 
the first one of the kind announced, and we 
went to the church expecting possibly a good 
attendance. On approaching the door we saw 
by the numbers standing about, that the door 
had not been unlocked, and it was nearly time 
for service. Possibly some had gone away, and 
we were greatly hurt at this apparent careless- 
ness on the part of the sexton. What was our 
surprise to find, on coming near, that the doors 
were wide open ! The aisles were crowded, and 
nobody else could get in but the preacher. 
What an audience ! The following brief refer- 
ence is clipped from the Circleville Daily Herald 
of March 2 : 

"The pastor had charge of the service. Mr. 
Bitler having gone to Kingston to spend the 
evening and to assist in the great revival now in 
progress at that place. It was one of the most 
remarkable services of the series. The meet- 
ing was for the young people only, and 
was held in the lecture room of the church. 
It was thought that this room was suffi- 
ciently large to accommodate all, but before the 
service began the room was packed. The aisles 
and the rostrum were crowded with young peo- 
ple, and many were accommodated in the class 
rooms joining the lecture room. It is said that 



NOISE IT ABROAD, 1 83 

two hundred young people were turned away, 
being unable to get into the church. Mr. 
Mr. Creighton talked about the ' rich young 
man who came to Jesus. ' After the sermon the 
congregation was dismissed by the benediction, 
and all anxious ones were invited to remain. 
The meeting was attended with great results. 
One of the most remarkable features of the meet- 
ings, at this stage, is that most of the subjects of 
prayers mentioned are father or mother ! It is 
not a strange or uncommon thing to hear 
a father or mother mention a wayward son 
or daughter as a subject of prayer, but now the 
opposite is heard." 

During the whole progress of this revival the 
young people were the most prominent figures 
in it. Whether as workers in the congregation, 
or kneeling at the altar, or crowding the plat- 
form, or composing the "chorus" that led the 
singing, they were always in the majority, and 
must be counted in, just as they were counted 
on, to do a vast amount of good. What is a 
church without young people? Since a very- 
large majority of all that enter the kingdom 
of grace do so in their youth, the church, 
pastor, evangelist or camp-meeting, that does 
not make large provision for them cannot be 
more than half successful in winning souls for 



1 84 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 



Christ. Their meetings at Circlevilie, whether 
at the church or colosseum, continued to be 
a centre of interest and a source of power, and 
Bro. Bitler's peculiar adaptation to lead them, 
and consummate management of them as a 
working force, deserves to be mentioned as one 
of the prime causes that brought about the con- 
version of five hundred and forty souls. 




CHAPTER XVI. 

Circleville Revival, continued. 
BEHIND THE SCENES. 

PRIVATE TALK TO YOUNG MEN AN ALTAR ON THE 

STAGE. 

It is remarkable to what extent Bro. Bitler is 
able to reach and rouse young men. His per- 
sonal tact appears at best advantage while work- 
ing among them. Naturally buoyant, of a san- 
guine temperament, and possessed of a degree 
of suavity that introduces him without the faint- 
est trace of embarrassment, he enters their pres- 
ence as a personal genius, and finds a cordial 
reception at once. 

Whether in groups on the street, or massed 
together in the rear of the audience, or associated 
as employees at some special industry, Bro. Bit- 
ler's coming is the signal for something of special 
interest to them, and his influence is as pervasive 
as a sun-beam. Somehow he wins them to him- 
self, and then he wins them to Christ. It is not 
"animal magnetism." There is about as little 
of the animal in his make-up as belongs to chris- 

185 



1 86 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

tian genius. It would better be called angelic 
magnetism. Or, if the term be too celestial, we 
might call it mental magnetism. The first is too 
coarse and materialistic ; the second is too fine 
and super-terrestrial ; the third is too cold and 
mathematical. The fact is that he is born with 
certain natural qualifications that are in part men- 
tal and in part emotional, which, supplemented 
by an intense love for their salvation, adapts him 
at once to become a leader and an associate of 
young men. 

He enters into their feelings, hopes, fears, am- 
bitions, and tastes, with a naturalness and warmth 
that charms, and for the time controls them. 

We are willing to compromise the terms em- 
ployed in the above definitions by admitting that 
it is personal magnetism. This comprehensive, 
indefinable something, which is but another name 
for genius, Bro. Bitler possesses in a very marked 
degree. Unconsciously he attracts by nature, 
and when anointed as he is by the Spirit of Christ, 
his work with young men is singularly owned of 
God in their salvation. 

Very early in the meetings, both at Gallipolis 
and Circleville, he announced 

" A PRIVATE TALK TO YOUNG MEN." 

It was more than intimated that a degree of em- 
phasis on the word private, would render the talk 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 8/ 

something out of the common order ; and in view 
of the curiosity excited by the announcement, a 
fair representation of the young men, if hot a 
large audience, was expected. None were to be 
admitted under thirteen years of age, and none 
over thirty- five. The older people were given 
to understand that the meeting concerned them 
by about as much as they were interested in the 
welfare of "the boys;" and fathers and mothers 
were requested to stay at home and spend the 
hour in earnest prayer for their salvation. To 
what extent this was heeded we cannot tell, but 
we know that it was sufficiently urged to make it 
impressive. Admission in both instances was by 
ticket. We give the following as a sample: 

TO YOUNG MEN ONLY, 



COLOSSEUM 

SUNDA Y, FEB. 22, 1885, Sr T 2 > 



C H 

' i I " 



AT 2:30 P. M. 

j&JDlsKTT OUSTS. 



The attendance at Gallipolis was reported as 
very large. ' ' There was a general out-pouring 
of young men, and we believe it safe to say that 
it was one of the largest, if not the largest, gath- 
ering of young men ever assembled in the city." 



1 88 NOJSK IT ABROAD. 

The attendance at Circleville was simply im- 
mense. There were about nine hundred present. 
Such an audience ! We wondered where they 
all came from. It was an inspiration. Here, 
thought we, is the "flower of the army." Sa- 
loons against the church ! God help the evan- 
gelist ! Expectation was at a high pitch, and 
the occasion was one that comes but seldom 
in a life-time. The singing was grand. The 
opening prayer by Rev. S. A. Keen seemed 
indited from above. Hut the 

ADDRESS ! 

How shall we report it ? We dare not lift the 
veil and disclose the delicate truths, the awful 
secrets, the terrible sins it depicted. Would to 
God our readers were, for the present, all young 
men. Then we might noise abroad, in terrorem, 
the substance of this marvelous delineation. It 
was intet nos, and it must live only in memory 
as a spectral shadow of secret vice and moral 
degeneracy that curses and corrupts a majority 
of young men to the everlasting shame of our 
race, and as an argument of moral depravity that 
can never be answered. Perhaps the reader may 
want to know the ground of this assertion. The 
following may assist him. The topic was taken 
from Ecc. xi.o, "Rejoice, O young man in thy 



NOISE IT ABROAD. I 89 

youth ; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days 
of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine 
heart, and in the sight of thine eyes ; but know 
thou, that for all these tilings God will bring thee 
into judgment." As a companion text, Gal. v:ic/ 
was read, and "such like" "works of the flesh" 
were unearthed, and every man's memory and 
conscience was submitted to the ordeal of a 
trying test. The "talk" was introduced by a 
modest statement of his purpose, and a disclaim- 
er of any intention to deliver a sermon or exhor- 
tation on the duties ol chastity and the future 
retributions awaiting the violations of moral pu- 
rity. It was the intention rather to produce 
facts and testimony from competent authorities 
in proof that the judgments of God were exe- 
cuted on offenders here as well as hereafter ; and 
in the hope of warning them of present danger, 
he attempted a duty that few persons could con- 
sistently perform. Preachers' lips were sealed. 
Fathers and Mothers were too confiding and too 
loving to fear that such truth was needed. The 
knowledge of medical practitioners was too 
largely confined to their own circles, and some- 
body must lift the veil who can get a hearing 
without offending the professional proprieties. 
Religious sentiments seemed to be studiously 
avoided throughout the main body of the address, 



I9O NOISE IT ABROAD. 

but the awful conviction of guilt was being en- 
forced by a recital of facts that went home to 
the hearts of a multitude. 

At times the applause was immense, and in 
spite of the delicateness of the subject and its 
direct application to many of the class addressed, 
the speaker had the sympathy of his audience 
from the beginning. It was brother talking to 
brothers with a terrible and tearful earnestness 
that sent the truth home to tingling ears. The 
contrast that closed the address and offered the 
purity of a christian life as an ideal of moral 
beauty, was charged with fervid exhortations to 
accept the Savior and cast off the "garments 
spotted by the flesh." At its close, young men 
willing to become christians were invited to re- 
main for an inquiry meeting. The curtain was 
lowered, and the stage back of it was utilized for 
an inquiry room. An altar of prayer was im- 
provised, and soon filled with young men. 
Twelve souls were ftappily converted to God. 
Among them were some that have since proved 
among the brightest of any that were rescued 
during the revival. Hetween the "acts" of the 
Holy Spirit in regenerating their souls, we sang, 
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow, " and 
the band that sang and prayed were perhaps 
among the happiest that ever stood on any stage. 



NOISE IT ABROAD. IQI 

Among those converted was a young man who 
had been previously addicted to drink. On his 
way to the Colosseum that afternoon, he remarked 
to a friend, that he was ' 'going to see the side 
show." He was soon among the most serious, 
and behind the scenes he was most powerfully 
converted ; and hastening home he told all he 
met of his wonderful deliverence. 

The result of the meeting as a whole was sal- 
utary in every respect. The young men went 
away instructed, carrying impressions that 
were new, and stimulated to a better life. Fruit 
was gathered in later services as the product of 
this one, and the whole series received an impe- 
tus here that was felt through all its successive 
stages. 

THE MASS MEETING 

held at the Colosseum the same night was a sig- 
nal victory. 

Every available seat was taken, a hundred 
chairs were added from the church, many crowded 
the aisles, and yet a multitude were compelled 
to go away for want of room. Bro. Keen 
preached from the text, "Give me thy heart," 
and the service in every item was well adapted 
to seal the convictions of the afternoon and se- 
cure the conversion of young men. The curtain 



I92 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

was dropped, many ascended the stage and more 
than a score were converted. A revival that can 
be transferred from the hallowed surroundings of 
a Church and carried into a theatre without en- 
dangering its life must indeed be a vigorous 
meeting. Yet in this case, while many of the 
devoted ones feared the result, and a few became 
alarmed lest the new associations would dissipate 
every element of devotion, the revival went right 
on. Not only so, but it gained in depth and 
power and rolled a wave of salvation more than 
four feet high over the stage itself; where be- 
hind a gaudy curtain, surrounded by the scenery, 
and under the glare of electric lights, was re- 
peated the tragedy of a methodist altar — weep-: 
ing penitents, earnest prayers, powerful conver- 
sions, and jubilant doxologies. 

The extremes of thought and feeling that 
characterized this day's work at the Colosseum, 
beginning with the searching "talk," which 
breathed the spirit and penalty of law, both 
natural and divine, and closing with the triumphs 
of gospel grace, made it a day unique, and typ- 
ical of every genuine revival. We must unearth 
the hidden secrets of human depravity and alarm 
the conscience before we can hope to see a cor-, 
responding work of grace that will consummate 
the triumph of regeneration. Bro. Bitler's chief 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 93 

element of power is along the line of persuasion. 
He never scolds ; never accuses ; seldom de- 
nounces particular vices ; and indeed with the 
exception of this private talk, we never knew 
him to single out a sin to denounce it. In this 
case however, the whole ground of physical, 
moral and mental uncleanness, received such a 
disclosure as made men blush and guilt tremble 
as before the Lord. He has little of the judicial 
severity and keen fulmination that we suppose 
to have characterized the ministry of President 
Finney. Perhaps a little more of this element 
might be salutary, but it is not often that we find 
a union of the elements of denunciation and 
persuasion so combined in the same man as that 
one is made to help the other. Most men stand 
between these extremes and have just enough of 
both to cancel results, and not enough of either 
to force their way through to a complete victory. 
They need a baptism of the Holy Ghost that 
will either kindle their intensity, or melt down 
their severity into the spirit of a loving persua- 
sion. We have heard sermons on hell that were 
cold, and others on judgment that would drive 
a sinner into a corner and set him to justifying 
himself; and the element of persuasion so utterly 
abandoned that instead of exciting a desire to 
"flee from the wrath to come," the sinner was 



194 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

made to feel that it had come. Under such 
ministrations meetings are killed, and christian 
workers if they get into the spirit of the sermon, 
instead of becoming anxious to rescue the per- 
ishing, begin to feel that sinners deserve to be 
lampooned, and about the best thing to be done 
would be to get a cudgel and cut the work short 
in righteousness. Alas ! for such preaching. It 
is not necessary to a truthful presentation of sin, 
righteousness and judgment. Paul said, "know- 
ing the terror of the Lord we petsuade men." 
Others knowing the terror of the Lord attempt 
to terrorize men ; not by giving them the facts 
of moral depravity and the heinousness of sin, 
but by a system of denunciation that makes a 
breach between them and the altar, and then 
orders them to tumble into it. Under such a 
method, a sinner will sometimes strut and boast, 
and defiantly display his morality as equivalent 
in every sense to the ordinary christian life. 
Something is needed to penetrate his secret sins. 
If he can be made to "see his feet his feathers 
will fall." A vein of revelation like that which 
runs through the first chapter of Romans, if 
presented in brotherly sympathy, is sure to be 
effective. It is but natural that spiritual unclean- 
ness is covered up and hidden from view. If it 
can be brought to light it will beget a sense of 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 95 

shame ; and the simple intimation of being ush- 
ered into the presence of God, will do more to 
alarm the guilty soul than all the fulminations of 
pulpit eloquence can do without such a previous 
disclosure. It may seem that such work requires 
great courage. We reply that it requires more 
grace than grit, and that if the former is lacking 
the ends of courage will be defeated. It used 
to be said that "a successful surgeon must have 
the heart of a lion and the hand of a lady. " 
The same is true of this sort of work. If the 
order is reversed, the lion may roar in vain, while 
his intended prey scampers off into the woods. 
"He that winneth souls is wise." When Jesus 
accused a guilty crowd with adultery he did not 
even look them square in the face, but wrote in 
th£ sand while they filed out of the temple — the 
oldest first and the youngest last ; an order and 
degree of guilt which obtains to this day ! ! 




CHAPTER XVII. 

An All-Day Meeting — A Business Man's Stand- 
p OINT _A Dress-Parade— Experiences of 

q ( j ,and wm. h ,and family— 

Mrs. Frame's Revival. 

Special features characterize all the revivals in 
which Bro. Bitler labors. When it becomes 
necessary to vary the programme, either to sus- 
tain or increase the general interest, something 
is devised that will enlist the church or awaken 
the community afresh. At Circleville, Friday, 
Feb. 27, was devoted to an all-day meeting. 
Previously announced as a day of fasting and 
prayer, the services began at the church at 10 
a. m. and continued without recess till 3 o'clock. 
Each hour the bell was rung' and the order 
of exercises varied. The first was devoted to 
prayer. The second to responsive Bible reading. 
The third hour was devoted to consecration 
for service, and the workers crowded to the 
front and bowed as near the altar as they 
could get. The fourth hour was devoted to 
the theme of scriptural holiness and led by 



NOISE IT ABROAD. I Q'J 

the pastor. The last hour was something of a 
culmination of all these features in testimony, 
prayer, and requests for prayer. Parents pre- 
sented their children, and relatives and friends 
spoke of dear ones amid tears and sobs ; and 
such a scene of mingled joy and sympathy sel- 
dom meets the eye or touches the heart. At- 
tendance increased as the day advanced, and at 
its close, the audience instead of being worn out, 
were manifestly happy and jubilant, with expec- 
tation of greater things to come. The day was 
characterized by deep and permanent results. 
Some who were not quite clear in their experi- 
ence were definitely blessed, and others experi- 
enced the blessing of a clean heart and were 
filled with the Holy Spirit. In the mass of con- 
versions attending the onward march of a great 
revival, there are always cases that are but 
slightly healed, and an occasional service, de- 
voted more especially to the church, and par- 
taking less of the noise and rush of the regular 
battle, is best calculated to bring them out into 
a definite experience. Besides, there are always 
a mass of hungry people that cannot be fully fed 
when the whole trend of a meeting deals with the 
first principles of repentance towards God 
and incipient faith in Christ. They have laid 
the foundation and learned the first principles of 



I98 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

the doctrine of Christ again and again, and they 
long to be filled. A meeting that does not, in 
some degree, afford facilities for believers to seek 
and receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost as a 
special gift of God, is sure to lack one of the 
most prominent features of apostolic revivals. 
We should tremble for the safety of the mass of 
converts, if chosen agents to secure their con- 
version, were not at the same time lifted to a 
higher plane of experience by some special 
anointing of the Holy Ghost that would abide 
with them when the meetings are closed. If 
the hungry hearts in the church were fed and 
filled, a perpetual revival spirit would as surely 
prevail, as that day lasts while the sun shines. 
The following article, published in the Western 
Christian Advocate, affords a glimpse at the usual 
night meetings and their attendant results from 

A BUSINESS MAN'S STAND-POINT. 

To the Editor of the Western Christian Advocate : 

The writer being in Circleville on Wednesday (the 
28th ultimo) was invited by an old parishioner (Jas. 
Clark) to spend the night with him, and go to the 
revival meeting at the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
At 7 o'clock p. m. the church was crowded — seats 
being placed against the wall and chairs in the aisles 
— and even the standing room was all occupied. On 
Tuesday night 25 were converted, and on Wednesday 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 1 99 

1 8. The exercises are conducted by Rev. J. S. Bitler, 
assisted by the pastor. The singing is vigorous and 
harmonious, and is given with the spirit and the un- 
derstanding. The doxology is sung whenever a con- 
version is announced, and during our evening's visit 
it must have been sung twenty-five times. The eigh- 
teen who professed a change of heart were brought 
within the chancel at i o o'clock p. m., as the exer- 
cises and instructions for penitents take place in the 
basement after the invitation is given to seekers of 
religion. Brother Bitler announced the number and 
proposed they sing the doxology, which being sung, 
he asked all who could possibly do so to come and 
shake hands with those just converted. While hun- 
dreds were thus engaged the vast audience sang — 

"When the general roll is called, 
I'll be there." 
Nearly every person who could sing sang this hymn ; 
and while there was little or no noise, save the sing- 
ing, there was a general jubilee. There was no seem- 
ing frivolity manifested by any one, but on the con- 
trary, all seemed in earnest; among whom were found 
the rich and poor, the learned and the ignorant, from 
the very worst as well as from the very best society in 
the city. Brief experiences being called for, one of the 
recently converted men, who was known as the most 
profane character in the city, said : ' 'The Lord has 
blessed me, and I am the happiest man in town. 
Some people say there is nothing in this religion ; but 
I say there is, there's millions in it." The effect was 



200 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

electrical, as all had confidence in the man, and the 
doxology was again sung. The revival is the talk at 
the hotels, in the stores, and on the streets. A large 
placard stretched across the main street, announces 
revival services at the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
Gamblers are reclaimed, drunkards are reformed, and 
prostitutes are gathered into the fold of the Church, 
as. taught by the words and example of the Great 
Teacher. Let the time never come in the history of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, when one is too low, 
too vile or too poor to be received into the Church, 
when fighting temptation to reach a better life. This 
is the work the Church is intended to do. 

Geo. Pakrott. 

a "dress parade." 
The happy faculty of getting everybody to do 
something, and of making young converts 
conspicuous, especially if they have here- 
tofore been prominent in the service of the devil, 
is one of Bro. Bitler's elements of success. Up 
to March 2, about three hundred had been con- 
verted. Though remarkable cases had all along 
been coming to the front, it was thought that by 
this time a sufficient amount of this sort of ma- 
terial had accumulated for a "Dress Parade." 
Dear reader, don't be alarmed. We mean just 
what we say. A regular exhibition of what God 
had been doing, was the outcome of it ; though 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 2QI 

we do not affirm that to have, been the end 
sought. It was rather intended as a means of 
noising abroad the gracious results of the revi- 
val. The meeting was announced for young 
men, at the Colosseum. Admission was general, 
and as a matter of course, older men were there 
that might have stayed at home if it had not 
been announced for young men. Seated on the 
stage, and scattered through the audience, were 
the trophies to be exhibited. They were, some 
of them, just previously notified that a brief ac- 
count of what they had been, and what they had 
been saved from, was expected from the stage. 
One by one they took the floor, and to an eager 
audience described the "pit from whence they 
were digged, " and the rock on which they stood. 
We have never witnessed such an array. The 
interest of personal history was blended with the 
wonders of grace, and the naturalness and pathos 
with which their story was told, moved every 
heart and melted every eye. The order in which 
these recitals were given is forgotten, and it may 
be that we have not preserved much of that 
which was most thrilling. We give below, the 
experience of some of our young men, and it 
will correspond as largely as may be to the testi- 
monies of that day. The report of the meeting 
by the Daily Hetald says — 



202 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

"At 3 P. M. the Colosseum was filled with 
young men who listened attentively to the thrill- 
ing experience of those who but recently gave 
themselves to God. Among these witnesses 
were several married men whose narration of 
what their home life was, and of what it now is, 
caused the tears to glisten in all eyes. 

"The remarks of Mr. C , J , were pe- 
culiarly interesting, and revealed not only the 
fact that he had been a great sinner and had re- 
ceived a great Savior, but also that there is a 
good deal of oratorical fire in the young man, 
and that a bright future awaits him if he will 
apply himself in securing an education. 

•'Considering the fact that all were but 'babes 
in Christ,' they did exceedingly well. Their 
testimony was clearly given and will doubtless 
do great good." 

We give these experiences in our own terms, 
and supplemented by facts since gathered. 

C — J — . , though but twenty-two years of age, 
and born and raised in the city of Circleville, had 
not been inside of a church for fourteen years. 
Two ignoble exceptions occurred. Once he 
attended the colored church to make sport of 
the preacher; and once he entered a crowded 
church in the country, where, in company with 
evil companions, he engaged in a brief game of 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 203 

cards, being almost hid from view by the dense 
throng that stood in front of them. When 
about sixteen years of age he began a wild 
career that earned for him the reputation of 
being the most abandoned young man in town. 
He went by the name of "Scratch," and de- 
scended to such depths that very few persons 
had any anticipation of his future, except that 
he would end in the penitentiary. His par- 
ticular sins need not be mentioned, except to 
say that he seemed to abandon himself to the 
extent of his ability. He would not work, and 
it was his boast that he wanted nothing but 
whisky, and he was not fool enough to work 
for whisky money. He was the tool of poli- 
ticians and gamblers, enjoyed a fight, and could 
easily swindle his way through on small rations 
and plenty of liquor. At eighteen years of age 
he began to work on the railroad, and in the 
course of time received several recommenda- 
tions. They ran about thus : ' ' First-class 
switchman, but can't be depended on — whisky I" 
While in the employ of the S. V. R. R. , at the 
yards in Columbus, he lay down on the track 
and went to sleep. An engine knocked him 
from the track and cut off three fingers of his 
left hand. A comrade gave him a bottle of 
whisky out of sympathy for his condition (?) 



204 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

which he duly drank, and got as drunk as 
he could well be immediately. Three times 
he took an oath to quit drinking .in order to 
secure a place, but broke each of them forth- 
with. With the whole trend of his life in the 
wrong direction, his strong physical and mental 
powers neglected and abused, and under no re- 
straint whatever, it is marvelous that he escaped 
utter destruction. On going to the theatre one 
night he paused at the door to look in, and the 
small audience disappointed his hope of having 
a good time. While hesitating he heard them 
singing "There is a fountain filled with blood," 
just a square away at the Methodist church. 
Having heard of the revival, he concluded that 
that would be • the cheapest show, and so went 
to the church. The writer was speaking when 
he entered, and happening to narrate an inci- 
dent that arrested his attention he became in- 
terested, and before the service concluded 
he was set to thinking. A brother in the 
church went to him and urged him to seek 
the Lord, which he promised to do, but with- 
out the slightest intention of fulfilling the prom- 
ise. However, the invitation was not lost. On 
retiring that night he could not sleep. Though he 
had nothing to lose, he "felt that he had lost 
something," and the night was spent in rolling 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 205 

about and cursing his mother " for not making 
up the bed better." It was a horrible night, 
and she attributed his ill temper to bad whisky ; 
but he had gone to bed sober, and the trouble 
had another cause. The next evening he went 
to the church again, and when the opportunity 
was offered he stood up for prayers. Very 
soon after he threw his cap in a corner 
and started for the altar, and there the struggle 
began. He says, " the first thing I was willing 
to quit was whisky. The next thing I was will- 
ing to quit, was swindling people out of their 
money. The last man I let down was an 
enemy. I had sworn to kill him, and I was 
willing to serve a term in the penitentiary or 
put out my tongue for some sheriff, to get even 
with him, and I was about fifteen minutes trying 
to make up my mind to let him go. " However, 
the victory was gained and Christ accepted, and, 
to use his own language, ' ' I felt a great change 
come over me. I felt happy and light, and felt 
like laughing and shaking hands with my worst 
enemy." The next morning an opportunity was 
afforded him, and on meeting his former enemy 
he shook hands with him, and told of his con- 
version. On hearing this the young man re- 
plied that if that was settled he would now take 
his revolver out of his pocket and put it in his 



206 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

trunk. Here ended what might have been a 
tragedy, but, by the blessing of God, became a 
reconciliation. 

This young man's conversion was of such a 
startling nature that it moved the whole com- 
munity, and as he took right hold of the work and 
became efficient in leading others to Christ, he 
was given many opportunities to speak in public 
and exercise his gifts, which, if properly trained 
and controlled, would make him a useful and 
successful man. Nothing but divine grace could 
have wrought the change, and the same great 
grace can consummate the transformation. 

The case of Wm. H , in view of its sequel, 

was one of the most remarkable of any that at- 
tended the revival. He was an associate of the 
young man whose experience is referred to 
above. Not so abandoned, but intemperate, 
profane, and, when intoxicated, quarrelsome. 
Once, in company with J., he spent sixty-three 
days in the county jail for assault and battery. 
This embroglio commenced over a few cents' 
worth of candy, and when the trouble began he 
sailed in to assist his friend J., and the two to- 
gether brutally whipped their opponents, and 
were severely punished by their confinement. 
Like the former, he had worked on the railroad, 
and met with a terrible affliction in the loss of a 






NOISE IT ABROAD. 207 

limb. This came near ending his life; and 
at one time, when he supposed the end was 
near, he expressed a desire to see a minister, and 
told his mother that if God spared his life he 
would try to be a better man. The minister 
was not sent for however, lest the excitement 
of a pastoral visit might prove fatal to the pa- 
tient. When he was recovered, instead of keep- 
ing his promise, he spent the next two years in 
sin and folly, and grew worse instead of better. 
He was not in the habit of going to church, and 
had seldom been present for five years past. 
When the revival was in progress he received 
an invitation to go and hear Bro. Bitler. After 
some time he went, but at first was not seriously 
impressed, and did not continue to come with 
any regularity. He became interested in the 
Young Men's meetings, and it was there that 
conviction matured into seriousness. He per- 
sisted in declining to go to the altar for some 
time, and the reason assigned, after his conver- 
sion, was that he felt embarrassed by the loss of 
his limb and doubted whether he could kneel as 
others did. Conviction increased, however, and 
one day he tried the experiment at home, and 
found that, though encumbered with an artificial 
appliance, he could manage to kneel very com- 
fortably. Soon after he came to the altar and 
was converted. 



208 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

He then prevailed on his mother to come to 
the meetings, which she did, and was converted 
in about a week after. Then three of his sisters 
followed, and were saved. Last of all, his father, 
who was sore pressed by all hands at home, 
"couldn't stand the pressure any longer," and 
consented to come to the church. 

The night after Wm. was converted his 
mother suggested that christians had family 
prayers and asked a blessing at the table, and 
the young convert proceeded forthwith to attend 
to these duties. This he continued to do until 
re-inforced by others of the family, who took 
their turn as fast as they were converted. Thus 
the old gentleman was living in a christian family, 
and beset with prayers and entreaties from all 
sides. He had once been very intemperate, but 
during a revival held in Circleville, in 1877, 
under Mrs. Frame, an evangelist, he reformed. 
Though scarcely ever at any church during the 
intervening period of eight years, except on the 
occasion of a funeral, his reformation proved to 
be permanent. When at last he was induced to 
come, the Holy Spirit took hold of him mightily, 
and he was soon converted. He then took the 
lead in religious service at home, and the whole 
family are living in the experience of salvation. 

The revival referred to above, conducted by 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 209 

Mrs. Frame, under the Pastorate of Rev. Jas, 
Mitchell, we have often heard disparaged. It 
has been asserted that scarcely any fruit remained, 
and that the revival did no permanent good. The 
charge is false. That great revival never died. 
Precious fruit remains to this day, as the church 
records will show. Ignorance or carelessness 
may assert the contrary, but we aver that since 
our pastorate began in this charge, instances of 
conversion, and cases of reformation, that date 
from that meeting, have been constantly coming 
to light. Moreover, the revival conducted by 
Mrs. Frame was frequently referred to in our re- 
cent meetings, and names were added to the 
church that had been converted then. Not 
simply backsliders, but persons who had lived 
consistent christians ever since. It was a gen- 
uine work of God. It added to the church, 
and strengthened it in every respect, and the de- 
fections were no more, proportionately, than the 
average number that fall away, after revivals con- 
ducted by the regular pastors. The church re- 
cord indicates this, and a thorough knowledge 
of the field puts it beyond question. If to the 
actual fruit of that revival, be added the numbers 
that were reached in consequence of it, by this 
revival, it will be regarded as a splendid soul 
saving work of grace. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

No Backing — Experience of Geo. S , — Tele- 
graph Operators — No More Sprees. 

We venture a continuation of personal exper- 
iences, well aware that, in view of the fact that 
these converts are of so recent date, we may meet 
the objection that such publication is premature. 
Their term of probation in the church has but 
scarcely expired, and they may fall. But we are 
sure that readers of this volume have not yet 
come to the end of a probation that ensures them 
against falling ; and if we must submit to their 
criticism we will try to bear it gracefully. 

Whatever the subsequent history of any in this 
record, their salvation thus far serves to illustrate 
the work of the Holy Spirit. Adam fell, David 
fell, Solomon fell, Peter fell. "Let him that 
thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." If, 
however, we are to wait till we know certainly 
who will be finally saved, we must defer revival 
accounts till we meet the recording angel. In- 
deed, we suppose it possible, to discover conserva- 
tive theologians who would forbid a convert's 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 211 

name on the Lamb's Book of Life, till an absolute 
fore-knowledge endorsed his calling and election 
as eternally sure. We are not of that school. 
We prefer the arminian chances or rather con- 
tingencies ; and if we must take either alternative, 
of a Book of Life written and sealed before the 
foundation of the world with every name stereo- 
typed beyond erasure, or the extreme of Divine 
Nescience, we prefer the latter. Whatever awaits 
us we can now sing 

Yes, my name's written there, 
On the page white and fair ; 
In the Book of thy Kingdom 
Yes, my name's written there. 

Some people are always waiting for something 
to drop, and on the first rumor are ready to say 
"I told you so ;" when if they had manifested 
more faith and less suspicion, they might have 
been useful in preventing it. It has been our 
experience that at the close of revivals, just as 
the regular prayer meeting gets fairly under way, 
somebody gives the clue and away go the prayers 
after the young converts that are "going back." 
We learned long ago to stop that sort of backing 
right at the start. We insist that a prayer- 
meeting that takes up the mournful monody of 
backsliding converts, is a curse, both to the older 
members and the struggling beginners, that are 



212 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

obliged to hear the dead march every time they 
come to the house of God. The first attempt to 
put the prayer-meeting flag at half-mast ought to 
be kindly admonished, and later attempts deserve 
to be dealt with as a species of treason. Unless 
the petitioner is able to name the persons meant, 
and willing to serve as a committee to hunt them 
up, he has no right to vend his complaint in the 
public prayer-meeting. If kindly admonitions 
will not secure acquiescence to this measure, let 
the test be applied, and it will very soon disap- 
pear from the programme. The fact is, a large 
number of christians assume a regular stampede 
after the revival, and then seek to ease their con- 
sciences for not doing something to prevent it, 
by unloading at the prayer-meeting. Let con 
verts stand committed by profession, and, after a 
reasonable probation, even in print ; and let the 
church stand committed to them. Their chances 
of success are then made a hundred fold more 
probable. If, after all that can be done, any 
are found willing to cancel their charter of 
eternal life, erase their names, and let the dead 
bury their dead, while we go marching on. 

Geo. S , was a man of quick temper and 

strong impulses, but withal of a generous turn, 
and many excellent qualities. He was a carriage 
manufacturer, and by hard work and good man- 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 213 

agement he had built up a large trade in a very 
few years. He carried his industry over the six 
days allotted for business, and usually spent the 
Sabbath in riding about the country in quest of 
work, and having "a good time." The habit of 
drinking, which he had indulged for about three 
years, was becoming a costly luxury, and not only 
so, but it had been growing on him during the 
last half of that time to such an extent that it 
was rapidly getting the best of him. His chief 
sin however, was profanity. His temper was al- 
most beyond control, and when enraged he swore 
at everything and everybody. He enjoyed the 
unenviable reputation of being the most profane 
man in town. Nobody wanted to swear like 

S , and it was the better part of wisdom to 

keep out of range when he was provoked to pour 
out his invectives of wrath. During the revival 
his younger brother — a telegraph operator — was 
converted, and shortly after, at an evening meet- 
ing, Bro. Bitler called the young man to the plat- 
form to narrate his experience. This was in 
keeping with the evangelist's method of "noising 
it abroad" and keeping every trophy visible. 
The young convert mounted the platform, and 
not only told his blissful experience, but in re- 
ferring to his companions and their habits, he 
gave some offence. It was quite a lengthy speech 



214 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

for a novice, and he closed up with an exhorta- 
tion that some of his former companions did not 
accept with the best grace. Taking advantage 
of some of his statements, a rival operator at- 
tacked him through the columns of a daily paper ; 
and this unfortunate occurrence made even the 
evangelist sorry that he had thus inadvertently 
subjected the young man to so great an annoy- 
ance. We feared for his safety, but were rejoiced 
to find that he had the grace of endurance. That 

very night, however, G , S , was present, 

and the speech of his younger brother was reach- 
ing his heart with an eloquence that made him 
weep like a child. It was just the sermon for 
him and he went away convicted. His convic- 
tions grew more intense, and a few evenings after 
he came to the service at a late hour, but when 
urged to seek Christ he thought of his old friends 
and customers, many of whom were irreligious, 
and concluded that he could not get along in busi- 
ness and be a christian. His wife was a devoted 
christian and regularly knelt in prayer before re- 
tiring, and that night he surprised and rejoiced 
her by kneeling at her side. He spent a sleep- 
less night, however. The next day he failed to 
attend the meetings, but the Spirit of God was 
pressing him hard, and at night he again knelt 
beside his wife in prayer. Conviction increased,. 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 21 5 

and he finally concluded to go to the afternoon 
meeting and ask for prayers, and follow that step 
by going to the altar at night. Going to the shop, 
he gave the boys their time to attend the meet- 
ing, and started for the church. Meanwhile, the 
enemy was at work. His christian wife and 
mother had been informed that he was about to 
go to the church under the influence of liquor, and 
hastening toward the shop they met him on the 
way, and upset all his good resolutions by urging 
him to return, which he did. To give vent to 
to the storm that was brewing, he went to work 
again. Meanwhile his temper got the best of 
him, and thus foiled, disappointed and enraged, 
he gave them an exhibition of it. Just then, a 
stranger, who lived in the country, came in to 
see about some repairs. He proved to be a man 

of God, and very soon began to reprove S , 

and to point him to the Savior. Poor S , 

then told of his recent determinations, and the 

•stranger urged him to seek Christ right there. 

He told him he could find salvation in his shop. 

S , replied that he wouldn't be converted in his 

s/iop, and that night declined to kneel again as 
before. But the Spirit of God was urging the 
surrender, and he began at last to think that his 
shop would be the proper place for him to give 
his heart to God. He spent the next day in 



2l6 NOIS3 IT ABROAD. 

praying most of the time, and in response to a 
brother who called to urge him to seek the Lord, 
he said he would, and returned a polite note re- 
questing Bro. Bitler to bring a few christians 
with him and pray for him there. 

When they went they found him ready to 
yield. Only one thing stood in his way. His 
hatred for a relative that was specially obnoxious 
to him was so great that he was unwilling to for- 
give. At last, however, he yielded the point, 
and while kneeling with these christian friends 
his load was lifted and he was clearly converted 
to God. Anger, wrath, malice, and the whole 
catalogue of these fruits, gave way to peace and 
love, and the next day the pleasure of meeting 
the former object of his hatred was a new luxury 
that he had not dreamed of before. He went 
immediately home and there erected a family 
altar, and came to the church at night to tell 
what God had done for him, and of the happiest 
home in all the country. 

N S , the young man referred to 

above, was one of six telegraph operators con- 
verted at this meeting. While Bro. Bitler was 
at Gallipolis, several messages passed between 
him and the writer, and N. chanced to send 
and receive some of them. One urged Bro. 
Bitler to come to Circleville, "now or never.'" 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 21J 

Another wound up with "glory to God." N. 
made some trifling remark to the operator at the 
other end of the line, who replied by telling him 
that he needed a little of it himself. Soon a tele- 
gram came saying that 527 had been converted, 
and the meeting still growing. The ejaculations 
that followed this statement will hardly bear re- 
porting, but N. made up his mind that if Bitler 
came he would go and hear him. When he 
came to the church the convicting Spirit took 
hold on him as soon as he entered the door, and 
in a few days he surrendered to God and was 
soundly converted. 

Curiosity, doubtless, was the primary motive 
that led him to the house of God, but if the 
numbers who attend divine service were con- 
fined to those that come from pious motives, we 
would preach to small congregations. If noising 
abroad the results of revival would excite the 
curiosity of telegraph operators, and secure their 
attention to the claims of the gospel, it would 
pay to keep them busy reporting revival news. 

J. A. C ., when but twelve years of age, 

began work in a bowling-alley, which was con- 
nected with a saloon. For a period of perhaps 
fifteen years he was in the employ of some 
saloon, and during that time the habit of drink- 
ing was frequently getting the best of him. Re- 



2l8 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

peated efforts to reform made his life a struggle, 
and he would sometimes straighten up and ab- 
stain for so long a time that he would congratu- 
late himself on having gained the victory. But 
the saloon element were his associates, and 
sometimes, after declining a hundred invita- 
tions to drink, he would break down and fall to 
the same depths as before. These sprees would 
last from one to four weeks, or as long as his 
money held out, and he could manage to bor- 
row or get credit. Not of a vicious tempera- 
ment, but naturally kind and considerate, his' 
wages ranging from seven to twelve dollars per 
week, he could have supported his family easily. 
But these frequent sprees made it a precarious 
matter. Though his excellent wife continued 
to plead, and dying words of a little son were 
fresh in his memory, all was of no avail. From 
the time that his little boy died, and during the 
two years that followed, he had no rest of mind, 
and would often look at the church, while pass- 
ing, and wish that he was a christian. But he 
did not reform, and about the beginning of the 
revival he was drinking hard, got into trouble, 
and was locked up in the station-house. When 
released, he told a friend that helped him out, that 
he was going to join the church and be a chris- 
tian on the first opportunity. He came to the 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 2lp 

meetings under conviction. Sought and found 
salvation. Brought happiness to his wife and 
four little children. Broke the spell of demon 
drink, and has "lived in all good conscience" 
until this day. Good sense, rare mental ability, 
industry, and, above all, the grace of God, is 
doing wonders for him. 




CHAPTER XIX. 

Other Denominations — Effects on the Com- 
munity — Too Many Churches! — Conversion 
of a Deaf Mute — Triumphant Death of the 
First Convert — Another Safe. 

It is worthy of remark that the various evan- 
gelical denominations of the city treated the 
revival with uniform favor, and some of them 
gathered fruit that was to some extent the 
product of this meeting. We do not mean 
this remark to be construed in any sense dis- 
creditable to them. For, during the progress 
of the meeting, it was frequently urged by the 
pastor that persons converted here should unite 
with any of the churches deemed preferable. 
To what extent this advice was taken we are 
not informed. Perhaps we received as many 
persons from sister churches as they did from 
us. Quite a number, whose former affiliations 
were with them, were either converted, re- 
claimed, or so thoroughly baptized into Metho- 
dist usages and Methodist spirit, that they 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 221 

afterward united with us, either on probation 
or by letter. 

So far as we know none of them were solic- 
ited or invited to do so ; nevertheless they were 
cordially received. Several of the churches 
drank deeply of the spirit of the revival, and either 
protracted their meetings, or began sevices again, 
after having rested from special meetings pre- 
viously held. The spirit of awakening pervaded 
the entire city, and instead of indulging a spirit 
of criticism, we felt that the times were propi- 
tious for all the churches to save souls, and if 
they had not made some effort to utilize these 
favorable conditions, we doubt whether they 
would have been free from the guilt of neglect. 
At least fifty, perhaps twice as many, united with 
the different denominations as a result of these 
extra meetings. 

The general spirit of revival, and the amount 
of public interest awakened, is indicated by the 
fact that there were four churches holding meet- 
ings day and night as the second series of the 
winter, and all of them were well attended. 
Churches in the adjacent country caught the 
flame and were making the second effort at revi- 
val ; and in some instances the last was more 
fruitful of results than the first. 

Not only were religious people effected, but 



.222 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

there was a very perceptible falling off in all that 
contributes to the liquor traffic. Customers were 
less numerous, beer kegs were less prominent, 
and even inmates of houses of ill-fame com- 
plained that "unless the revival was stopped they 
would starve to death." 

A "drummer," whose stock consisted of fine 
wines and other liquors, paid the city a visit 
about this time, and returning to Columbus, O., 
he reported his success to the lady with whom 
he was boarding. 

He said that Circleville was the worst town he 
had ever struck. ' 'They have so many churches 
there. There are churches in other towns, to be 
sure, but they seem to have such a hold on the 
people. When you ask if they want anything, 
they just look at you. I didn't make my expen- 
ses, &c. " He assured his landlady that he 
would never visit the town again ; but possibly, 
under the reign of "free whisky, " and no law 
that liquor men are bound to respect, he may be 
induced to come at a later period and "try his 
luck again." 

Among those converted at the meetings were 
at least five persons that had formerly been en- 
gaged in the sale of liquor. They were not all 
of them regular saloon keepers, but they are reg- 
ular attendants on the various services of the 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 223 

church, and we could wish that all the converts 
of revival meetings were as uniformly full of faith 
and zeal. 

DEAF MUTE. 

Standing on the platform one evening, and just 
before the meeting in the inquiry room had ad- 
journed to come up stairs, we noticed a young 
man passing in front of the pulpit, whose smiling 
face indicated a perfect rapture. Such an ex- 
pression of mingled astonishment and delight we 
had never seen. The impression was at once 
made that the young man had just been converted. 
We followed him to his seat in the audience, and 
inquired if it were not so. The answer was 
nothing but a look, and a smile. Repeating the 
question, he said nothing, but seemed greatly 
excited and very happy. We left him not know- 
ing what to make of it. Presently we went to 
him again, and insisted on knowing what was the 
matter. After some time he seemed to under- 
stand what was wanted, and first putting his hand 
on his heart he lifted it up, as much as to say that 
something sacred had transpired between him and 
God. When we discovered that he was deaf, 
the matter was made plain ; but how he came to 
get enough gospel to go to the altar and seek and 
find the Savior, is still a mystery. He had learned 



224 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

the carpenter's trade, was an intelligent and ex- 
cellent workman, and withal, his infirmity had 
not been a complete defense against evil associa- 
tions and some bad habits. Before his conver- 
sion he was cross and peevish in the family, and 
there was plenty of room for reformation. Since 
that time he has attended faithfully all the ser- 
vices of the church, and testified at almost every 
opportunity — by the same sign of laying his 
hand on his heart and then lifting it above his 
head. His temper has sweetened, and his whole 
demeanor is that of a happy, consistent christian. 
If "by their fruits" we are to know them, then 
the Holy Spirit has done a great work in the 
heart of Bro. Wm, F . 

Multitudes of cases worthy of record must be 
passed by without notice. Of all that have been 
given, not one is recorded here that has not given 
every evidence of genuine transformation, and 
subsequent faithfulness. Should any of them 
fall we may regret the publication of their expe- 
riences, but we venture our faith in their fidelity, 
and noise abroad the grace that saved them, 
knowing that they will be ' 'kept by the power of 
God, through faith, unto everlasting life, " unless 
they abandon the Savior by a criminal desertion. 

We have often remarked that revival efforts 
are usually followed, or attended, by two very 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 225 

different phases of death. In calling to mind 
former revivals we find no exception to this 
statement, and we could verify it by marked in- 
stances in almost every case. Indeed it is no 
matter of wonder in view of the multitudes that 
usually attend revival meetings, some of whom 
accept the Savior, and others, under deep con- 
viction persistently reject salvation for the last 
time. It very frequently occurs that converts are 
translated while yet in the joy of their "first 
love," and others, who have rejected Christ, die in 
darkness, "having no hope and without God." 

An instance of the latter, almost parallel to 
many we have known, occurred during the meet- 
ings here. Prior to the coming of Bro. Bitler, 
a woman whose hostility to the church was 
evinced by her repeated utterances, was visited 
by kind friends and neighbors who urged her to 
come to the meetings. She persistently refused, 
and on learning that the evangelist was expected, 
she declared that she would like to see him ; she 
was going to hell anyway, and she wanted to 
give him a piece of her mind before she went. 
Shortly after his coming, at a time when the 
meetings were at their best stage, a brother, whom 
we prefer not to name, while exhorting the peo- 
ple quoted the text, "He that being often re- 
proved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be 



226 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

destroyed, and that without remedy." He not 
only urged it with vehemence, but went so far 
as to assert a powerful impression that it was 
soon to be verified in our midst. The next day, 
the woman referred to above, fell from her chair 
— dead. It created something of an impression 
at the time, and the remarks of the evening be- 
fore were brought vividly to mind. 

We tried to preach a faithful sermon to the 
large company assembled at the house, from the 
text, ' ' Therefore be ye also ready : for in such 
an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. " 
The occasion and its impressions were not lost, 
for very soon after some of the hearers were 
among the seekers and found the Savior. 

DEATH OF THE FIRST CONVERT. 

Very different was the case of Carrie M . 

At the first meeting of the series she yielded to 
an invitation to give her heart to Christ and 
began at once to seek him. For some time she 
was in great distress of mind. In a few days 
she was taken sick and deprived of the privilege 
of attending the services. She seemed for a 
time to vacillate between light and darkness, 
but soon received the witness of her acceptance, 
and began to be greatly concerned for others. 
When her illness became serious she spent 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 227 

most of her time praying for the salvation of 
others, and would not rest until she seemed 
assured of their conversion. After that, glory ! 
glory! glory! were her frequent exclamations. 
When the end drew near she called the family 
to her bedside and talked as one looking into 
Heaven. The gates, she said, were open. 
Jesus was visible. Angelic hosts were above 
and about her. Called to her bedside just be- 
fore the light went out, the last words we could 
distinctly hear were, ' ' trusting Jesus. " Though 
but fifteen years of age, her repentance was at- 
tended with genuine grief, her conversion 
marked and clear, and her death triumphant. 
We devoted a regular hour of service to the 
funeral at the church, and made it a part of the 
programme of the meetings to exhibit her tri- 
umph among the results of the revival. 

Later on, and after the close of the meetings, 
another young lady who had been converted 
during the revival was taken suddenly ill and 
died. Not, however, until she had left a clear 
testimony that all was well. Strongly tempted 
to stay away from the "Band" meeting one 
Tuesday night, she passed the church three 
times debating the question. But finally she 
went in. The meeting proved to be one most 
precious to her soul, and she testified to an evi- 



228 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

dence of her acceptance with God with more 
emphasis than usual for her. That night she 
was very ill, and in a few days was dead — 
but numbered among those who "die in the 
Lord." Doubtless every pastor can call to 
mind similar cases whose conversion and death 
came so near together, that we not only saw 
them saved, but safe. We know that our min- 
istry is not barren, and heaven is sweeter when 
we have children there. 

With two converts in heaven, and hundreds 
on the way thither, the real record of this great 
revival will only be known when the last of 
them has ended the race and received the crown 
of everlasting life. 




CHAPTER XX. 

DAY OF JUBILEE. 

Invitations — Praise Service — Sermon — After- 
noon Session — Responses — Reports from Vis- 
iting Ministers — Closing Address by Dr. 
Trimble — A Pentecost at Night — Fruits of 
the Jubilee • and Closing Service of the 
Revival. 

Friday, March 20, 1885, was a memorable 
day in the history of Circleville. Nearly a 
thousand cards of invitation had been addressed 
to ministers and others, and they served not 
only as invitations, but to noise abroad the work 
of grace. The day announced for the jubilee 
proved to be a stormy one, and with the ther- 
mometer down to a low degree, many were de- 
terred from coming. Nevertheless, a large num- 
ber came by train, and from the surrounding 
country, and ministerial brethren were well rep- 
resented. Some of the latter were engaged in 
revivals, but had left the battle in the hands of 
their people and come to the jubilee for its in- 
spiration. The Colosseum is a large frame build- 

229 



23 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

ing, capable of seating about twelve hundred peo- 
ple' and before the service had proceeded far it 
was comfortably filled; while at night an over- 
flow meeting was held at the church. 

The meeting began with a praise service; 
opened with prayer by Rev. Dr. J. M. Trimble, 
and consisting of songs of jubilee, and fervent 
prayers by visiting ministers. The first hour 
closed with a report from the pastor, in which 
various features of the work were reviewed, and 
the sum of all that had been accomplished re- 
ported. There had been four hundred and 
sixty conversions directly, the result of the 
meeting, and about forty in other churches of 
the city. So that, making no account of the 
incidental fruits of the revival in the incentives 
given to other meetings in the country, we were 
warranted in rejoicing over the conversion of 
five hundred souls. 

SERMON BY REV. S. A. KEEN. 

Following the praise service came the sermon 
of Rev. S. A. Keen, Presiding Elder of the Lan- 
caster District. Having labored most effectively 
in the meeting during part of the time, and per- 
fectly conversant with all its details, he took 
hold of the work at the right place. 

The text was Zech., 4:6. "Not by might nor 
by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts." 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 23 1 

A brief outline of the sermon deserves a place here, 
more especially as it sounds the key-note of genuine 
evangelistic work. We reproduce it from memory, 
and we owe the recollection of it to the fact that the 
truth affirmed profoundly impressed us at the time as 
of the utmost importance to all religious workers. He 
began by saying that 

There are two methods of work. — The one 
always results in failure ; the other always insures 
success. The first uses all the natural and provi- 
dential resources of the church, and depends on 
them. The second uses the same natural and provi- 
dential means, and depends on the Holy Spirit. 
The result is, that the first fails to accomplish any- 
thing, and the second succeeds. The case of Asa 
was used in illustration of this difference. Asa's 
capital was threatened by Zerah. Asa marshaled 
his forces, called upon God, and won a glorious 
victory. We might suppose that this method of 
warfare would have been continued ; but when 
another emergency came, and shortly after this 
Baasha, King of Israel, threatened Jerusalem, Asa 
made alliance with Benhadad, King of Syria ; de- 
pended on his army, did not call on God, and 
ignominiously failed. The resources of the church, 
consisting in architecture, an educated ministry, 
Sunday School appliances, etc. , are invaluable. But 
to use them and depend on them is to fail ; while to 
use them and depend on God is to succeed. They 
are great, but not great enough to be depended on. 
They are of God, but if we base our faith on their 
efficiency, we are sure to fail in the end. If we use 



232 N0IS3 IT ABROAD. 

them, and supplement our work by judicious meth- 
ods, depending solely on the Holy Spirit, we are sure 
to succeed. The second part of the sermon raised 
the question, 

What can we depend on the Holy Spirit 
for ? First, in reply, we can depend on Him for 
convicting power. In proof, we have the promise that 
" He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteous- 
ness, and of judgment." Second, for converting 
power. There are times in a revival when the 
work of conversion seems to lag. Souls at the 
altar of prayer, but none being converted. Then, 
frequently, every other dependence fails and we 
are driven to depend on Him alone, when Lo ! the 
power of God comes suddenly upon them and they 
are converted, and the work goes on. 

Third, for revival power. Such power as controls 
the attention of a community ; sets them to thinking 
and talking about religion. Politics is laid aside. 
Business becomes secondary. The spirit of a gen- 
eral awakening is seen and felt, and times of re- 
freshing come to the church of God. We must 
come to recognize the fact that the Holy Spirit is 
the great, and the only great, Revivalist. 
Finally, why may we depend on the Holy 
Spirit? 

First— Because he came to do this work. He has 
nothing else in hand at this time. Creation was 
finished long ago. The worlds are made. "He 
garnished the heavens," and His work in that 
sphere has been consummated. The work of in- 
diting and inspiring a revelation is completed. The 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 233 

bible is made. The atoning work of redemption is 
finished. All things are now ready, and the Holy 
Spirit has nothing else to do. 

Second — He is able to do all things. Nothing is too 
hard for him. 

Third — He is ready. We have but to ask him. 
" More willing to give good things to them that 
ask." &c. (Luke xi. , 13). If we succeed in the 
work of God we must depend on God. May we 
learn the lesson that it is " not by might, nor by 
power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." 

We refrain from any estimate of the sermon 
as to its merit or acceptability, and only produce 
the above sketch to give prominence, and if pos- 
sible emphasis, to its evangelistic trend. No 
mind can magnify the importance of entire de- 
pendence on the Holy Spirit. Our acquaintance 
with Bro. Bitler's meetings and unique methods, 
has not lessened our appreciation of this truth, 
but greatly increased it ; and if the reader by ob- 
serving in this account the various combinations 
of machinery and method, has lost sight of the 
cloud that covered and the glory that filled the 
temple, he has been strangely misled. In many 
cases we could cite, brethren from abroad came 
to our meeting who were as conscious of a divine 
presence before they witnessed the apparent re- 
sults as afterward. Many persons who were 
spiritually susceptible, entered our meetings 



234 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

under such a sense of the power of the Holy- 
Ghost that it was indeed an ' 'inward persuasion, " 
a sacred assurance, and a feeling akin to that 
which Moses must have had when he stood by 
the burning bush. 

A man of God whose ministry covers a period 
of man) years in the Ohio Conference, and whose 
intense love for the practical and experimental, 
has made him familiar with all the branches of 
natural philosophy ; whose sensibilities are not 
moved by the ordinarily emotional, and whose 
intellectual standards of taste have made him to 
be regarded as a severe critic, volunteered this 
testimony to the writer; "I could not be any 
more conscious of the presence of the Holy 
Spirit. As I come near the church I realize it. 
If the atmosphere was colored with some sub- 
stance it would not render the fact any more ap- 
parent to my sensorium commune, than it is." 

Said a layman, who came from a distance, and 
whom we met a few minutes after he was seated 
in the congregation ; "I knew the Holy Spirit 
was here as soon as I entered the door." Nu- 
merous testimonies might be given in addition to 
these ; and as Dr. Trimble said in his address, 
cited later in this account, ' 'anybody could see 
that God is here." 

The sermon quoted above needed no exhorta- 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 235 

tion such as we have seen fit to append. The 
people that heard it had ample proof of its 
truthfulness. A consecration service followed. 
Ten persons rose for prayers, and several came 
forward and were converted. 

Afternoon Session. 

This meeting was introduced by prayer and 
song, the ministers present being called on to 
pray. Responses, of which a large number were 
received, were then read by the pastor. 

An hour or more was devoted to reports from 
visiting ministers. This part of the programme 
was in keeping with Bro. Bitler's method of 
keeping revival results at the front, and noising 
abroad everything relating to the work of God. 
No minister ever comes into the congregation 
with good news in his heart, that does not have 
an opportunity to declare it. On this occasion 
the preachers were fresh from the field and flush 
with victory, and their testimonies celebrated the 
triumphs of more than a hundred battles. 

The Lancaster District was first reported. The 
District comprises a large part of four counties 
and a small part of two others, and the revival 
had been general. Of twenty-one charges, all 
had been blessed with marked revivals except 
three. Of seventy-five societies, sixty-five had 
revivals. 



236 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

The spirit of awakening had been intense. 
The meetings were characterized by powerful 
convictions, and clear conversions ; while the 
churches had been elevated to a higher plane of 
christian experience. It was specially empha- 
sized that the spirit of this meeting at Circleville 
had spread, and incited the preachers and people 
all over the District. In places where revivals 
had closed the pastors had renewed the battle, 
and were now having greater victories than at 
first. The number of conversions was reported 
at nineteen hundred since the first of January, 
1885. The whole number, since reported, has 
reached 2, 500. 

Other preachers, of the district and elsewhere, 
took up the work in detail ; and he is a cold 
preacher who could have heard the story of so 
many battles without having his soul stirred. It 
was like the prelibation of coming millennium. 

We have read the accounts of early Methodist 
victories, and longed to see the like in modern 
times, and right here the story was being repeated, 
amid the tears and hallelujahs of a multitude. 
When Methodist preachers get together, and 
recount their experiences of conquest and 
victory, if the hearer has any war metal in him, 
it is sure to ring when the key is struck. 

Rev. Z. W. Fagan, Presiding Elder of the 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 237 

Gallipolis District came in with the "cap sheaf," 
and reported the great revival at Gallipolis, and 
the work in general on that district. The sum 
of it he described as wonderful ! wonderful ! ! 
wonderful ! ! ! Of twenty-three charges, twenty 
had been blessed with revivals, and the whole 
number of converts in the district had reached 
twenty-three hundred, and in many places the 
work still going on.* His account of the revival 
at Gallipolis, together with marked manifestations 
of the same power throughout the district, fully 
justified the oft repeated "wonderful" of his 
characteristic speech. '"Tis wonderful grace," 
was never sung with more heartfelt gladness than 
at the close of his remarks. 

The prevailing sentiment was that of thanks- 
giving, and while the jubilee was held in honor 
of the fact that 500 souls had been converted at 
Circleville, it took on the broader cast of celebra- 
ting the triumphs of more than a hundred revi- 
vals. The closing address was made by Rev. Dr. 
J. M. Trimble. 

Without attempting to report it in full, we 
may recall some of its allusions as eminently ap- 
propriate to this account. It was worth much to 
hear it, and more to feel it, for it was in many 

Our latest report from Bro. Fagan puts the number at 
2,651. 



238 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

respects the climax of a wonderful meeting. He 
began by saying that while something of a stick- 
ler for Methodist hymns, he could often express 
himself in the language of another, viz.: I'm glad 
I'm in this army. " His former labors, extending 
through many years, and many revivals, were 
briefly referred to. The great revival at Circle- 
ville in 1842, under the pastorate of Rev. Bon- 
tique, in which 400 were converted, and another 
in 1857 under the 'pastorate of Dr. Cyrus Fel- 
ton, in which 350 were brought in, both occurred 
at the time when he was Presiding Elder, and in 
which he labored. He said that this was the 
same spirit that prevailed in those great revivals ; 
that anybody could see that God is here ; that God 
is in this movement as he was in that years ago, 
He stated that he had been converted5 8 years ago, 
that he had been in the ministry 57 years; the 
first year 500 souls were converted. The fruit of 
later revivals he had found everywhere. They 
were scattered through the years, and over a wide 
district, and even in the congregation before him. 
Pointing to the writer he said, "I prayed with 
the father of this pastor." (He might have 
added that Joseph H. Creighton first went to the 
altar of prayer at Circleville in 1842, while Dr. 
Trimble was preaching. The former referred to 
this fact at the session of the Conference recently 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 239 

convened here, and declared that in later years 
he had heard many sermons, but none that 
stormed his heart as that one did.) In referring 
to the question that had been raised, asking why 
our church had no quarrels on the subject of doc- 
.trines, he replied, that we had no time for that, 
we were a revival church, and when we ceased to 
be that, we were nothing. His reference to the 
present revival, associated as it was with past 
labors and precious memories, was so eminently 
fitting that it seemed to bind the fathers and the 
children together, and blend the whole vast revi- 
val spirit into one, and we felt that we were really 
in the revivals we had before only read about. 
Turning to the ministers, his fervent appeals to 
them to trust in God, and prayer for them that 
they might be endued with the Holy Spirit, was 
met with responsive amens, that reflected the 
same ardent revival spirit. His closing appeal 
to the unconverted was delivered in the same 
vein of earnestness and pathos that characterizes 
his best utterances, and when he had finished, 
we sang the doxology over the victories of all 
the past, and in hope of triumphs yet to come. 
The closing hour was given to testimonies from 
laymen present. Mr. S. M. Alderman, an attor- 
ney, converted during Bro. Bitler's meeting at 
Corning, was introduced, and after reciting his 



24O NOISE IT ABROAD. 

experience, (recorded elsewhere in this volume) 
he commended the grace of God as able to save 
from the lowest depths of intemperance. Nothing 
could have added to the simplicity and candor 
with which he told the story of his rescue. It 
thrilled the vast audience, and every body seemed 
to weep. We have seldom heard a recital so 
full of pathos, and yet so marked with genuine 
ability. No speech of that day elicited more 
friendly comment. 

Hon. G. P. Brook, member of the Ohio Legis- 
lature, was next to speak, and a worthy speech it 
was. Learning of this revival he had come to 
enjoy the jubilee, in the hope that he should find 
among the 500 converted, the family of a relative 
residing here. In this he had been disappointed. 
But, we may add, that while he was here God made 
him instrumental in their salvation, and he went 
home with a glad heart and good news. 

Eighty persons occupied the remaining mo- 
ments, and when all that were saved were re- 
quested to testify by rising, fully nine-tenths of 
the vast audience stood up. It was like the tide 
of a great camp-meeting, and closed the after- 
noon service. 

NIGHT SERVICES. 

At night the services were conducted by Rev. 
Z. W. Fagan, of Gallipolis, and Bro. Bitler. The 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 24 1 

Colosseum was crowded to its utmost capacity, 
and an overflow meeting was held at the church, 
led by Rev. S. A. Keen and the pastor. The 
latter meeting was singularly powerful. We 
never witnessed its equal. The first half dozen 
prayers were remarkable. The altar was pre- 
sented as usual ; a few came at first and others 
followed. Suddenly, as if lifted by the same 
hand, the "mothers in Israel, " began to praise 
God aloud. Half a score began to shout at once. 
Those at the altar were converted at the same 
time. Others were struck with conviction, and 
the whole congregation were caught in a whirl- 
wind that moved those in front to the rear. Two 
or three times the congregation seemed to swing 
clear round, and we doubt if an unconverted 
person in the house was left without a personal 
invitation. Some started for the door but were 
arrested, and one especially, with hat in hand 
was just about leaving, when he was met by a 
brother, and at once surrendered and came clear 
out on the side of the saved. At the close of 
this wonderful service the news had spread to 
the Colosseum, and when the larger meeting 
was dismissed the multitude thronged the church, 
only to hear of its wonderful manifestations and 
join in its closing doxologies. 

Thus ended a day of jubilee that roused all 



242 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

the latent forces of this great revival and quick- 
ened the faith of thousands. 

FRUITS OF THE JUBILEE. 

Rev. W. C. Holliday, stationed at Shawnee, 
Ohio, attended the jubilee and reported a re- 
vival, resulting in sixty-two accessions and fifty 
conversions. The Presiding Elder took occa- 
sion to remark that while greater results in num- 
bers were reported from some other places, he 
regarded this revival, in view of almost insupera- 
ble hindrances that had to be met, as one of the 
most remarkable in the district. The following 
statement, furnished by the Presiding Elder, 
contains not only an estimate of the influence 
of the Circleville meeting in the Lancaster Dis- 
trict, but the last Shawnee bulletin : 

' ' The revival flame at Circleville sent its radi- 
ations throughout Lancaster District. In some 
parts, where effort for revival had been made 
and no fruit gathered, the news from Circleville 
so inspirited the pastors and people that they re- 
sumed special evangelistic effort and had glori- 
ous success. Notably among these incidental 
effects of the Circleville revival was this in- 
stance : Rev. W. C. Holliday, pastor of Shaw- 
nee, attended the jubilee service at Circleville. 
His charge had had a revival in January, but 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 243 

he was not satisfied with the results ; they were 
not commensurate with the great spiritual needs, 
as he justly thought, of that community. While 
attending the Circleville jubilee the inspiration 
came to him to begin another series of meetings. 
He returned home and resumed revival work. 
Within a few days God providentially sent him 
the assistance of Mrs. R. E. A. Smith, an evan- 
gelist, and soon there were conversions amount- 
ing in the aggregate for the year to 345. This 
second meeting led to a second meeting at New 
Straits ville, resulting in seventy-five conversions. " 

THE CLOSING SERVICE 

On the night of April 3, 1885, was a fitting 
culmination of the great revival. As usual, 
the first half hour was devoted to song. Bro. 
Bitler followed with a brief address. He closed 
by thanking those who had contributed to the 
success of the meetings, including the choir, 
the press of the city, the owner of the Colos- 
seum for its gratuitous use, and others who had 
been prominent in helping the work. After 
remarks by the pastor, Bro. Bitler called atten- 
tion to the fact that the scriptural mottoes had 
been taken down from the walls, and asked the 
congregation to recite them in the order in 
which they had stood. Beginning with the 



244 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

first, they were repeated in chorus by the con- 
gregation, showing that they were retained in 
memory by the multitude. He then proposed 
to shake hands with all in the audience that 
would agree to make it a covenant, signifying 
that "by God's grace I'll meet you in heaven." 
Then began a general move from every seat in 
the room, and as the songs of Zion were sung, 
one following another, almost the entire audi- 
ence filed by the pulpit and grasped the hand 
of the evangelist. The spirit of hand-shaking 
became prevalent, and the scene presented a 
phase of rejoicing seldom witnessed. Having 
begun with great anticipation, we closed with a 
retrospect, recounting what God had wrought. 
One soul was converted, and after singing 
"Marching to Zion," "Sweet By and By," 
and "The General Roll," the meeting was 
closed with the Doxology and Benediction, 



*&#££ 



CHAPTER XXL 

METHODS- 

The Study of Methods — A Key to the Situa- 
tion — Preaching not at Fault — Copyists. — 
Questionable Methods — A "Bad Box." 

It amounts to little in the record of revival 
events to declare that they were wonderful. We 
must know something of their causes, and the 
attendant means and methods employed to se- 
cure them, before we can learn much from a 
study of them. Many earnest workers are anx- 
ious to know how it was done by others, that 
they may be better prepared to doit themselves; 
and while no man is a model, and no method is 
either opportune or always successful, the study 
of men and methods may be suggestive in more 
ways than one. The success of one man is often 
a stimulus to many. True, David could not 
fight in Saul's armor, and it is certain that David's 
sling would be as useless in the hands of another. 
Ram's horns and lusty blowing brought down 
the walls of Jericho, but it is not probable that 
similar horns would be effective in modern war- 

245 



246 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

fare. The copyist that would employ Bitler's 
methods, and attempt to noise abroad the work 
of God, might do a vast amount of "blowing," 
but it is not probable that the walls would have 
any trouble to stand. Samson's method with the 
gates of Gaza, would fit nobody else, unless God 
should so order. His resources are infinite and 
He is not obliged to duplicate his plans. The 
fact therefore, that He did it that way once, is 
evidence that He will do it some other way 
again. 

The study of methods will be valuable as sug- 
gestions, but certainly not as models to be fol- 
lowed or patterns to be adopted. If an evangelist 
is not blessed with a degree of originality suffi- 
cient to improvise methods of his own, he can 
hardly be in possession of that wisdom that win- 
neth souls. If he be truly called of God to this 
work, and have the baptism of the Holy Ghost, 
he is as sure to be a successful evangelist as that 
God cannot be mistaken. The Holy Spirit will 
as certainly suggest appropriate methods to an 
inquiring mind as that the promise of wisdom is 
true. "If any man lack wisdom let him ask of 
God, who giveth to all men liberally and up- 
braideth not." It is the testimony of Bro. 
Bitler on this point that he caught the idea of 
adveitisement, which he has since employed with 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 247 

so good effect, while on his knees. It is charac- 
teristic of him that he takes matters of manage- 
ment and plans of work into his closet. When 
difficulties arise, he pleads with God for a key to 
the situation, and usually he gets it, and the com- 
bination is unlocked. 

We tread on sacred ground, and lest we give 
aid and comfort to those who excuse their want 
of revivals on the score of inadaptability, we 
hesitate in m aking what seems to be a concession; 
Yet the truth remains that God does not call 
every minister to the same pliase of soul-saving 
work ; nor does He qualify them for it. ' 'Some 
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers." 
We have known men who supposed that the 
baptism of the Holy Spirit would, if received, 
qualify them for evangelistic work ; and that the 
measure of spiritual power received would be 
manifested in the specific work of getting sinners 
converted. Doubtless the natural powers would 
be quickened, and success in every department 
greatly augmented, but not so as to satisfy his 
ambition on any single line of ministerial labor. 
To every man his work ; but along the line of 
his call and qualifications, God will make him a 
success, if he be wholly consecrated and divinely 
anointed. 

We have often been impressed that very many 



248 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

if not most preachers who have the work of re- 
vivals at heart, and yet who do not have as many 
and as great revivals as they desire, are not at 
fault as to preaching. They preach well enough 
to secure vastly more fruit than they do. That 
class of ministers who fail to find enough mate- 
rial and inspiration in the gospel, and go mean- 
dering off into the milky way of literary nebu- 
lae, or tramping round on desultory pilgrimages 
for some new social or philosophic topic, in 
order to give variety and attraction to the pulpit, 
are comparatively few in number ; though the 
species of solderers and tinkerers is by no means 
extinct. The rank and file of evangelical minis- 
ters are men of God longing to see great revivals, 
and so far as preaching is concerned, many of 
them dispense truth enough to carry conviction 
and bring multitudes to Christ. Failing to 
achieve results commensurate with the amount 
of effort expended, the remedy is sought in pre- 
paring and preaching better sermons. The truth 
may be that the strength of the preacher is in 
his message already, and instead of strengthen- 
ing the weak places he toils away at the strong 
ones. Ordinarily, methods are either wanting or 
inefficient, or ill adapted to arrest attention and 
facilitate the work of revival. Many of us need 
to study methods of personal appeal, and the 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 249 

management of public meetings, more than we 
need a course of elocutionary training. 

If we copy from others in detail, we are sure 
to be hampered and very little good can come 
of it ; but a majority of men are copyists, and 
if we must copy why not endeavor to imitate 
something new? The usual routine of ordinary 
revival methods are not original with this gener- 
ation. The copy is so old that it seems never 
to have been new, and hundreds are imitating it 
without the least idea that they are imitating 
methods. Song, prayer, sermon, invitation, 
song, prayer, doxology and benediction, in reg- 
ular apostolic succession, from the fathers to the 
children. The use of the "Mourner's bench," 
has been vindicated by so many triumphs that it 
may never be superseded in Methodist history, 
but it is nevertheless an old copy, that none of 
us are ashamed to follow. When however we 
have failed in our attempts to use it, and the 
breach between the altar and the unconverted 
continues to defeat us, we may be compelled to 
resort to some method that will bridge it. If 
the old methods of vehement exhortation, and 
persistent appeals fail us, perhaps some method 
of personal effort, or pastoral visitation, or an 
after meeting, or a room of inquiry, or the or- 
ganization of a working band, or a young people's 



25O NOISE IT ABROAD. 

meeting, or children's meetings, or something 
new, will prepare the way for altar work, by 
stimulating the workers and breaking the ranks 
of the unconverted. May-be an hour with God, 
pleading for a key to the situation, will disclose 
the trouble and furnish a simple method that 
leads to success. 

It is not strange that unquestionable methods, 
foolish methods, and even false methods, are 
sometimes employed. Good sense is essential 
to the creation of sensible methods, and moral 
honesty is equally requisite to the employment 
of truthful methods. Some men lack both, but 
their performances should not be charged to the 
evangelistic office. 

"Papa, you almost got a letter ; " said a little 
fellow to his father. 

"What do you mean, Johnny?" 

"Why, I saw one in the box right next to 
yours. It came purty near being your letter, 
didn't it? " 

Johnny is not the only "fellow" that reasons 
well on mistaken data. That class of preachers 
who oppose evangelists on the ground that some 
of them are not genuine, would be in a "bad 
box" if the same rule of unjust criticism was ap- 
plied to them. We venture that evangelists are 
like other men, and range in ability and useful- 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 25 I 

ness, all the way from mendicant tramps to men 
of apostolic spirit and splendid abilities. To 
assume that some men who lack common sense, 
resort to questionable methods, and exhibit a 
selfish spirit, are typical evangelists, is to taint 
the whole fraternity. Arguments that proceed 
on this implied assumption — as many of them 
do — are not only lacking in moral honesty, but 
the logical sequence is as wide of truth as a 
letter in the next box. Jesus was crucified be- 
tween two thieves, but he wasn't a thief. If 
all the hard things that are said and written 
against evangelists as a class, on the score of ex- 
travagances employed by a few, were erased from 
the controversy, current criticism would have 
little left that does not apply to regular evangel- 
istic pastors. 

Mr. Bitler's methods are especially adapted to 
secure attention and produce results. While ut- 
terly devoid of ingenious nonsense, his changes 
of front, flank movements, and various tactics, 
are so apt and appropriate that they commend 
themselves to the audience and enlist their ap- 
proval and co-operation, instead of their criticism. 
To one who looks on at a single meeting and 
goes away thinking he has seen the battle and 
surveyed its tactics, there seems to be but little 
that is new, If he comes again he will very 



252 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

likely find a new field, and new phases of the 
same great work. To many, who witness the 
meetings clear through, the evangelist does not 
seem to follow any system of methods but dashes 
ahead and things happen to turn this way and 
that like the gusts of the wind, but to those 
better informed and careful to analyze, these 
great meetings are seen to be conducted in 
accordance with plans and methods as wisely 
adapted to the end in view as any system 
of military tactics. It would be impossible to 
record the details of attack, defense, siege, and 
we had almost said retreat, that are regularly 
and methodically provided for by Mr. Bitler; 
and we proceed to a general statement of some 
of the chief methods that characterize his meet- 
ings. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

, BITLER'S METHODS. 

The Banner-Scripture Mottoes — Tracts — The 
Newspapers — "Done for Effect" — Reaching 
the Masses — Demonstrations. 

The evangelist's first objective end is to se- 
cure the attention, and, as far as possible, the 
attendance of the people. His fame is not 
relied on to do this, nor does he wait to attract 
the multitudes by his preaching and the fruits 
of the revival. He wants to begin with a 
crowded house. He has no sympathy with the 
notion that religious people can have better 
meetings in the lecture room, and that the use 
of the main audience room will frighten workers 
and cool off things generally. He aims at im- 
mense results, and acts as if God meant to give 
them. He unfurls the Banner of invitation the 
first day ; and while I write it may be seen 
on the corner of Main and Court streets, at the 
most conspicuous place in this city, and just 
where it can be seen by every citizen, or peo- 
ple that come to town from any point of the 

253 



254 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

compass. It consists of a piece of canvass about 
thirty feet long, and reads : 

REVIVAL SERVICES to-night at the M. E. 
CHURCH. 

It hangs about twenty-five feet above the 
pavement, stretching from a telephone to a 
telegraph pole, thus fitly representing Bro. Bit- 
ler's idea that these times of advancement in 
everything scientific, demands that the church 
and its religious enterprises rise to the same 
plane, and appeal to the people from the same 
elevated platform of advertisement and business- 
like methods. 

It was amusing to hear remarks that were 
elicited when the banner was put up. One 
said that it meant business ; another was ready 
to bet that the evangelist wouldn't get over 
a hundred converts ; while his comrade, hav- 
ing twice as much faith, put it at two hundred. 
The colored brother, whose fish stand was near 
by, chuckled and tossed his head knowingly, as 
much as to say the year of jubilee is come. A 
few good people seemed afraid to look at it, lest 
they might seem to sanction so great an innova- 
tion. It soon lost its alien look, except perhaps 
to those whose business the revival materially 
crippled. An instance of the estimate in which 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 255 

the banner was held by a man whose craft was 
in danger, occurred at Gallipolis. Near the 
close of that meeting it was taken down ; but 
new interest in the meetings led the evangelist 
to stay another week. In accordance with a 
desire expressed by many that had been con- 
verted, it was put up again one morning at day- 
break. A saloonist near by caught sight of it, 
and looking up he exclaimed, "Good Lord, 
aint that feller gone yet! " That fellow did not 
go until the number of converts reached more 
than six hundred, and some of them his best 
customers. 

Another method of advertisement which ap- 
peals not only to the eye but to the heart, is to 
be seen on the walls of the room in which the 
meetings are held. ' ' My word shall not return 
unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which 
I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto 
I sent it, " has often been verified by this method. 
Striking texts, painted in large legible letters, 
adorn the audience room on all sides. 

What seems at first a novelty, becomes at last 
an attraction, and long before the series close, 
these flaming messages on the walls are as 
sacred to those assembled beneath them as 
when found in their own bibles. Their attach- 
ment is illustrated by the fact that when Mr. 



256 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

Bitler left Gallipolis the people plead for the 
banners. They were all taken down and ready 
to be sent to the next place of meeting, but at 
their earnest solicitation they were put up again, 
and so remain to this day. Quite a large amount 
of money was raised at the close of the meeting 
at Gallipolis for the purpose of repairing and 
frescoing the church, and such was the intense 
desire to perpetuate the memory of the revival 
in these sacred texts, that many have 'informally 
requested that they be painted on the walls, and 
thus become perpetual mementoes of that great 
work of God and its hallowed associations. If 
the reader would have a view of the scene, let 
him suppose himself to be seated in the midst 
of a vast audience, every available seat occu- 
pied, the platform crowded, many about the 
door and skirting the aisles, and the walls lined 
with a file of persons glad even to stand during 
the service. The pulpit is wheeled aside, the 
organ is placed in the centre, and the evangelist 
at the front, stands ready to deliver his message 
without pulpit, book, note, or any other rest, 
from which to take aim at the hearts he hopes 
to capture for the Master. Just above and back 
of him hangs the blue banner against the niche 
in the wall, and it reads : 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 257 



JESUS . 

THERE IS 

NONE OTHER 

NAME 

Under Heaven Given Among 
Men Whereby 

We Must Be Saved 




To the right and left of this, and occupying 
all the space to the adjacent walls, are two 
scriptural invitations. The one on the left is 
from Isa, 55:1: 



moieyery one that] 

I THIRSTETH tSP WATERS. j 

The other on the right is from Jno., 6: 37 



HIM THAT COMETH tome 
1 wm IN NO WISE CAST OUT 



On the opposite walls are six of these banners, 
so arranged that "companion pieces" face each 



258 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

other; for instance, the following are 
directly opposite each other: 



hung 



THERE IS NO 
PEACE 

SAITH IVLY 
GOD 

TO THE WICKED. 



WE HfflE 

PEACE 

WITH GOD 

Through Our 
LOED 

Jesus Christ. 



The prophecy that ' ' the stone shall cry out 
of the wall, and the beam out of the timber 
shall answer it," has in this, at least a measure 
of fulfillment. Turning to leave the room, the 
attention is attracted by a text that stretches 
above the door. It is larger, and has been 
more frequently referred to, in connection with 
serious impressions, than any of the others. It 
reads : Ye Must Be Born Again. 

Another method of advertisement is the dis- 
tribution of invitation tracts, which Mr. Bitler 
has had published by the thousand and spreads 
like the leaves of autumn. One of these is a 
single leaflet, with an invitation to the meetings 
on one side and a brief scriptural sermon on the 
other. The other is a four-leafed tract, which, 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 259 

in view of its emphasis of prominent words, and 
its judicious presentation of the truth to the un- 
converted, is well calculated to attract attention 
and appeal to the conscience. It bears the 
striking title of A Message To You. The 
method of utilizing these tracts is chiefly along 
the lines of personal work. The evangelist, in 
company with the pastor, sallies forth to visit 
men in their places of business, distributing the 
tracts to any that may be present, and supplying 
the counters of business men. Christian work- 
ers, and especially the young converts, are pro- 
vided with a good supply, and they serve well 
to introduce the subject of religion and act as 
reminders when the worker has passed on. 

THE NEWSPAPERS. 

A false modesty might lead christian workers 
to shrink from giving great publicity to success- 
ful revival efforts, but there is another view of 
it, viz., that everybody ought to know what 
God is doing for the salvation of men. Mr. 
Bitler takes that view. Believing that the secu- 
lar press will command an immense influence, 
he aims to secure its favor from the start. Per- 
sonally visiting the editors he solicits and se- 
cures their aid in reporting fully everything 
of interest that may transpire during the re- 



260 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

vival. Thus the work is noised abroad. Flam- 
ing headlines become an evangel to hundreds 
that might otherwise be in total ignorance of 
the meetings, and they come to see for them- 
selves. We know instances of persons who 
read these revival accounts and came in from 
the country, not only to see, but to seek salva- 
tion. One was converted who was led to seek 
the Lord at home, and who was not in attend- 
ance at the meetings until after her conversion. 
Think of a political organ becoming the medium 
through which a casual reader is led to seek and 
find the Savior ! The fame of any successful re- 
vivalist will give him a multitude of hearers, and 
it would seem that this fact would render Bro. 
Bitler's method of advertisement wholly un- 
necessary. But it must be borne in mind that 
he attempts to reach a class that ordinary an- 
nouncements would not attract. Many con- 
verts, referred to in previous pages, had not been 
inside of any church for years, and he caught 
their attention on the wing. The newspapers 
kept the whole community astir, so that his 
audience was not confined to the church. 
They waked up intense interest many miles 
beyond the central fires, and lesser revivals 
were kindled and quickened, so that this method 
gave him a hold on congregations he never saw. 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 26 1 

So far as we know, Bro. Bitler never wrote a line 
or dictated a notice, but his peculiar aptness at 
securing helpers employed the talents of others. 
It is sometimes difficult to disassociate all evi- 
dences of personal pride from popular exhibi- 
tions and public displays. Very few men could 
occupy a conspicuous place in the affairs of so- 
ciety, and continue to exhibit results that in so 
great a degree redound to their fame, without 
appearing to be proud, or eventually becoming 
so. All successful men have this gauntlet to 
run. Yet the tendency to personal laudation, so 
universal to human nature, must not be made 
an absolute barrier to success, for if to avoid the 
one we give up the other, we make a virtue of 
failure. Humility is a great grace, and one of 
the brightest ornaments of greatness, and with 
many minds in possession of it, all efforts at dis- 
play are condemned as- savoring of ostentation 
and pride, and utterly inconsistent with the 
gospel of Jesus Christ. If the least leaven of 
personal laudation were seen to enter the evan- 
gelist's method of noising abroad the triumphs of 
the gospel, it would so poison the mess that Ave 
would be driven to the cry of the sons of the 
prophets, "O thou man of God, there is death 
in the pot." Certainly the Holy Spirit would 
have no complicity with this thing, and the 



262 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

whole effort would soon come to an end, or run 
on as a perversion or a burlesque. 

We have known many conscientious ministers 
who refused to report their revivals through the 
columns of the official papers of the church 
simply because it seemed to them to savor of 
display. They forget that a column of revival 
news cheers the churches and quickens the faith 
ot thousands. Saints are encouraged and sin- 
ners are awed by the display of divine power. 
It is human nature to express their appreciation 
by marches and processions. Drums, banners 
and sky-rockets, are their highest ideals of pat- 
riotic expression. Wise men are notmovedby 
them but they know how to utilize them. Napo- 
leon once said to an attendant, "You are very 
fortunate, you are not obliged to make a show of 
yourself; but as for me, I must go in a procession ; 
this is what I dislike ; but we must have a display ; 
this is what the people like." Whatever else 
Napoleon was, he was a consummate general 
and knew how to manage civilians as well as sol- 
diers While the same spectacular cannot be 
employed in religious methods as in social or 
political life, nevertheless we have the same ele- 
ments of human nature, and so far as it may not 
offend good taste or contradict the spirit of the 
gospel, it behooves us to attract attention and ex- 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 263 

hibit the trophies of conquest. Once, early in 
the meeting held at Circleville, Bro. Bitler invited 
all who had been converted to come to the plat- 
form, and it was immediately crowded with per- 
haps more than a hundred persons. A gentle- 
man in the audience remarked to a friend that 
that was done for effect. "Yes," replied the 
other, ' 'and why not ? It is enough to affect 
anybody, and I like a preacher that can affect 
something." It is doubtless the experience of 
Methodist preachers, that early in a series of 
meetings it is difficult to secure a large attendance. 
But just as soon as conversions begin to occur 
and the matter gets noisqd abroad, the crowds 
come to see what is going on. Curiosity and 
inquisitiveness are the poles of a magnet that are 
more attractive than the ordinary amusements 
that have hitherto kept them away. The mo- 
tives that bring them are as utterly devoid of re- 
ligious interest as the bills of a circus, and they 
come to see the show ; but if the spirit of awak- 
ening becomes general, they are as readily reached 
as many who have been usual attendants. The 
mere exhibition of revival results if it is designed 
simply to satisfy morbid curiosity and secure a 
crowd, must be deprecated ; but if by encourag- 
ing public testimony, and calling attention to the 
work of God in saving 1 sinners, it is intended to 



264 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

bring the masses within the range of the gospel 
message and secure their salvation, the fact that 
they are led to think, and finally to surrender, is 
proof of its wisdom. "The children of this 
generation are wiser than the children of light," 
and it is time we applied successful business 
methods of advertisement and announcement to 
the great business of saving souls. 

REACHING THE MASSES. 

It has been a problem that has worried the 
pulpit, and been discussed in every variety of 
form in christian conventions, and occupied 
many columns in the press ; but few men have 
found a practical solution by which they could 
reach and rouse the multitudes. The pulpit of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church has had less 
concern on this subject than some others, and 
yet in very many instances the same defect is 
visible. Mr. Moody's method solves the prob- 
lem in his hands and under the inspiration of 
his presence. His injunction to "go for than," 
is perhaps as good as any, if only the spirit 
of personal work would characterize chris- 
tian people under the leadership of the pastor. 
Mr, Bitler's method is first to attract than, 
and then "go for them." He finds no difficulty 
in holding them when once they come, for the 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 265 

reason that he keeps everything of interest at 
the front, and they come again. Mere reliance 
on pulpit efforts, however gifted the preacher, is 
not always sure to win. Wendell Phillips de- 
livered an address in Central Park, New York 
City, and a dog fight took place at the other end 
of the park at the same hour. The dogs had th e 
crowd. Phillips may have had the consolation of 
knowing that he had the brains ; but ministers of 
Jesus Christ will never secure the conversion of 
the world if their conversions are limited to that 
class. The unthinking masses must be attracted, 
and set to thinking. If there is any medium 
between a dog fight and a tongue of gifted ut- 
terance, that can be wisely employed to secure 
this end, it is the long sought "philosopher's 
stone," and no place is so in need of its employ- 
ment as the church of God. 

When on the day of Pentecost the Holy 
Spirit was poured out there were demonstra- 
tions attending it, "and when this was noised 
abroad the multitude came together." While 
there were "devout men" among them, it is 
presumed that the mass was not attracted 
by any religious significance attaching to the 
announcement, but simply to see the phe- 
nomena of fiery tongues, or hear the noise of 
rejoicing believers. The tap of a fire bell will 



266 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

rouse a whole city and every body runs. Just a 
moment ago the alarm was sounded, and now 
as I write the multitudes are running past my 
study in search of the fire. Who has not known 
them to get up at night, and after they reach the 
scene, to stand and shiver by the hour, with no 
object in view except just to see the fire. The 
multitudes that thronged the aisles and filled the 
door way, and extended as far as the street, and 
stood up by the hour during these great meetings, 
were simply atttacted by pentecostal flames, and 
when conversions occurred in their sight, or the 
announcement was made in their hearing, that 
persons were being converted in the Inquiry 
Room, they joined as lustily in singing the dox- 
ology as some of the saints. It was the mark 
of apostolic preaching that it was "in demonstra- 
tion of the Spirit, and of power." It is doubt- 
ful if any great work of the Holy Spirit is on 
record that was not attended with more or less 
of demonstration. 

When George Gilfillen heard of the great Irish 
revival he doubted its genuineness, and said it 
was wild-fire ; but when he went to see it, he very 
soon changed his mind and testified that it could 
be none other than the work of God. Jesus did 
many miracles. The apostles worked ' 'mighty 
signs and wonders. " The Methodist fathers were 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 267 

attended with marvellous demonstrations of 
power. Every revival is attended with a 
variety of demonstrations that leads men to 
marvel. Whatever form they may take, they 
are usually simple manifestations of hidden phe- 
nomena, and though they have no moral value 
in themselves, they serve to index the Spirit and 
confound the multitudes. (Acts 2 : 6.) Once 
under way a revival becomes an attraction, and 
it continues to hold the attention of the people 
while these spectacular evidences of power are 
witnessed. Under Bro. Bitler's method of ad- 
vertisement, by the use of tracts, invitations, 
mottoes, and banner, he has a vast audience at 
the first service and before the novelty of this 
method has worn off the revival is under way, 
and its results are crowded to the front. Let 
conservatives criticise if they will, but before 
they cover themselves with the mantle of pious 
modesty, let them go to work and get half as 
many people converted in some dark corner. It 
might not meet the approval of such, but Ave 
verily believe that Bro. Bitler would write his 
announcements and publish the results of each 
revival on the expanded sky, if he could, and then 
call on the passing winds to sing the doxology 
over every soul born into the kingdom. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

Bitler s Methods, Continued. 

Help When Needed — Sounding His Trumpet 
— Loose Ends — Singing — Shaking Hands — 
Special Features — Doctrines Preached — No 
Opposition. 

It will doubtless occur to the reader that these 
methods must involve the evangelist in some 
expense, and that a precarious income that is 
chiefly supplied during the winter season would 
scarcely warrant this extra outlay. Viewed 
from the standpoint of a Local Preacher, with- 
out either appointment or secular employment, 
and facing the future with all its contingencies, 
it does look dark ; but Bro. Bitler has always 
found that God provides 

Help When Needed. 

It is not often that a vast secular concern is 
identified in any way with the work of God ; 
but in this case an exception is found worthy 
the emulation of the rich men of Methodism. 
When Bro. Bitler started out on his evangelistic 
mission, without salary or promise of financial 

203 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 269 

support, Messrs. G. M. and O. G. Peters, of the 
Columbus Buggy Company, Columbus, Ohio, 
came to his help and proffered a stipulated sum 
per month as a subscription to his support. 
Both were members of his Official Board at 
Wesley Chapel, and aside from a personal con- 
cern for his welfare, they were in sympathy with 
his work, and anticipated gracious results. Bro. 
Bitler's methods of advertisement, when known 
to them, appealed at once to their practical 
business sense, and met their approval, just as 
such methods have since done when brought to 
the attention of others who have proved their 
efficiency by their success. The evangelist, for 
the reason that any such contribution would 
have violated the very principle on which he 
had started out, viz., that of depending solely 
upon the people among whom he labored for 
temporal support, felt that he could not accept 
the proffered gift without being embarrassed by 
it. He therefore declined it. But to utilize his 
methods, he needed money. Banners, tracts, 
mottoes, and, in brief, all the advertising 
methods he employs to attract the attention 
of the people and noise abroad the revival 
news, were to be provided for, and a subscrip- 
tion of twenty five dollars per month was ac- 
cepted for this purpose from these brethren. 



2JO NOISE IT ABROAD. 

This fact was not heralded by the evangelist, 
nor did it appear in his advertising ; but in 
view of his grateful appreciation and the credit 
due to them it is mentioned here. At Gallipo. 
lis, on "Jubilee Day," he received the following 
telegram : 

"Praise God for your success. Paul may 
plant and Apollos water, but God giveth the 
increase, both spiritually and temporally. Draw 
on us for your needs. 

" Columbus Buggy Company." 

Here is a firm owning the largest carriage and 
buggy factor)- in the world, employing nearly a 
regiment of men, averaging one vehicle every 
eight minutes, with ten acres of floor in the 
various departments, and with everything pro- 
portionately immense, that not only indorse the 
practical, business-like methods of the evangelist, 
but take pleasure in contributing to their success. 
This firm, embracing George M. Peters, C. D. 
Firestone and O. G. Peters, all united with the 
church in their youth, during a revival, and feel 
it their duty to help on the revival work in this 
practical way. Their great temporal success is 
a verification of the Scripture: "There is that 
scattereth and yet increaseth." In revivals, 
' ' he that soweth sparingly shall also reap 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 2J\ 

sparingly," and in Bro. Bitler's work he 
recognizes this principle and anticipates great 
results by breaking up a good deal of ground at 
the start. His boldness inspires confidence in 
others, and before the fire begins to kindle 
everybody looks for a great revival. It 
may seem to the reader that all this bold 
enterprise, displayed by advertisement and 
"flourish of trumpets," is hazardous. What 
if, after all, he should fail to have a revival? It 
would indeed be a ridiculous predicament, and 
a defeat would capture all his guns and trail his 
banners in the dust. But the case of the taking 
of Jericho furnishes an exact parallel. What a 
ridiculous predicament awaited the tramping 
hosts of Israel as they blew their horns round 
that great walled city ! The only thing that let 
them out of what might have appeared a very 
silly venture was the falling of the walls. Our 
Bro. would plead guilty to the charge that he 
sounds his trumpet, and not only so, but he 
gets everybody else to blow theirs ; so that in 
about seven days every horn in Israel is lustily 
blown, and God looks after results. 

After all, the figure in his case is not an exact 
parallel, for very early in the revival he expects 
to find a few loose stones that can be taken down 
one at a time. lie announced to the writer at 



272 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

the beginning of the Circleville meeting that he 
was looking for 

LOOSE ENDS. 

This statement was repeated several times, 
and when asked to explain he replied that when 
it was impossible to tear a garment by main 
strength you might find loose ends and then 
unravel it. He sought these loose ends by per- 
sonal work, in the congregation and on the 
street, and when he found a thread that would 
"give " he held to it with all his might. May 
not this furnish a suggestion to other workers 
who are looking for a "break" in revival meet- 
ings, when if they would address more attention 
to special cases the way for a break would be 
prepared ? 

SINGING. 

The first half hour of every general meeting is 
devoted to song. With a voice of considerable 
compass, and supported by members of the 
choir and a chorus of young people, accom- 
panied by organ and cornet, he leads the con- 
gregation and gets all the people to sing. 
Among the first things, by way of preparation, 
is to get a book in everybody's hand. These 
are not distributed gratuitously. 

When a brother proposed to purchase a large 
quantity of the little books and distribute them, 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 273 

Bro. Bitler refused, on the ground that people 
will take care of their own property, whereas if 
furnished gratuitously they would soon destroy 
them. 

SHAKING HANDS 

With people sitting in rows and afraid to move 
lest they attract attention, it is impossible to 
utilize the latent power of a congregation. Ease 
and freedom must be secured without offending 
good taste or any of the social proprieties. It 
is almost cruel to ask christians, many of whom 
never entered a large congregation without em- 
barrassment, to turn "about face" and start out 
on a mission of personal work. A' few per- 
sons of nerve, or an occasional hero, may volun- 
teer. Occasionally a good brother who has 
reached the shouting point and let go, may at- 
tempt obedience to such a request while his 
blood is up. Some heroine, whose crucifixion 
has been complete, may attempt the forlorn 
hope, but the effort is equal to a nervous shock. 
Exhortations that belabor christian people for 
declining to do this work are devoid of considera- 
tion. If formalism can be broken, and between 
the extremes of a Sunday funeral and a church 
social we can secure a happy medium that will 
relieve embarrassment, there will be no trouble 
to secure workers in the congregation. Bro. 



274 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

Bitler aims at this the first night of the meeting, 
and gets the ice to floating in warm currents that 
melt it entirely. At the close of his first address 
he woke up the spirit of song, and when the tide 
was high he invited the people to gather about 
the altar and take him by the hand. They were 
expected to continue the singing and not only 
to shake hands with him but with each other. 
On his part he would accept this courtesy as a 
cordial welcome to the city and as a pledge of 
their support and co-operation in this work. 
Before they were aware of it the "upper room" 
had lost its parlor-like formality and the people 
began to feel at home. Ritualistic proprieties 
were laid aside for warm heart- felt congratulations, 
and with a hundred young people on and about 
the platform, and christians crowding to the front, 
singing and shaking hands was made easy. The 
writer confesses a natural reserve and possibly a 
severity of taste that long regarded an indiscrim- 
inate handshake with aversion. It seemed like 
a general hurrah calculated to dissipate serious 
and sacred impressions, and especially embarrass- 
ing. But after considerable observation, both in 
revivals and at camp-meetings, he frankly con- 
fesses his mistake, and believes that the very em- 
barrassment complained of is thus effectually re- 
lieved, and the way to personal work in the con- 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 



275 



gregation is thus made easy. This opinion, 
though it was formed before laboring with Bro. 
Bitler, was very greatly strengthened by observ- 
ing his methods. Prior to his coming, and at 
the first meeting held in January, we determined 
to introduce handshaking, and at the close of 
the service gave the invitation ; and since we 
could not ask others to take the lead, we sum- 
moned our courage and went at it about as a boy 
getting ready to plunge into a cold bath. The 
venture was vindicated by the result, for we soon 
found a young lady in the congregation who was 
weeping, and when urged to give her heart to 
the Savior she immediately began to seek Him, 
and was very soon after converted. This was the 
"first convert" whose death is recorded in a prev- 
ious chapter. Occasionally hand-shaking was re- 
sorted to later in the meetings, but when the 
evangelist came he shook up the congregation 
almost daily, and set the mass adrift almost every 
time it seemed to get lodged. If we are to reach 
the masses, social lines of division must be lost 
sight of. The lowly must be lifted and the lofty 
lowered, and we know of no special evangelizing 
agency that can do this so successfully as the 
promiscuous shaking of hands while blending 
our voices in the songs of Zion. A wild stam- 
pede, or an extreme of boisterous demonstrations, 



276 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

will excite the disgust of discriminating minds,, 
while cold formality will be fatal to religion. 
Good sense is the only ballast that will hold the 
vessel level under a tremendous hand-shaking 
breeze, that stretches every inch of canvass and 
wakes up the billows of a great revival. 

SPECIAL FEATURES. 

Bro. Bitler combines the use of an Altar of 
Prayer and an biquiry Room, or employs either 
of these methods as the indications of the meet- 
ing may seem to suggest. At Circleville the first 
was employed, until the crowds became so dense 
that there was absolutely no room for altar work. 
It reminded one of a flood, when the back water 
so nearly covers the wheel that the miller is said 
to be "drowned out. " To relieve this, double 
meetings were held, and an altar service con- 
ducted in each. Pastor and evangelist ' 'exchanged 
pulpits" from time to time, but it soon became 
arduous and exhausting, and the lecture room 
was reserved for an Inquiry meeting. The main 
service was conducted as before, and seekers 
were requested to retire to that place for conver- 
sation and prayer. Only such with their friends 
and chosen workers were invited. There they 
were invited to kneel at the altar, and the meet- 
ing was conducted similar to an altar service 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 277 

above, except that seekers received the entire at- 
tention of those conducting the meeting. It 
was thought best, not to enforce the rule rigidly 
as to attendance in the inquiry room, because it 
was discovered that persons wounded in the upper 
room were captured after coming here. Their 
presence was taken as an indication that they de- 
sired to converse on the subject of religion, and 
the opportunity was not lost. Later on the 
place became an attraction for workers that were 
needed in the main audience, the unconverted 
found it the place of greatest interest, and the 
room was soon packed with a standing congrega- 
tion, so that there was no room to work or stir. 
This method was then abandoned. The front 
seats in the main room were cleared and seekers 
were invited to kneel or be seated there, and 
thus the interest was transferred from method to 
method as the case demanded. In order to reach 
a class that needed special instruction, or such as 
shrank from any public identity with either of 
these methods, an occasional meeting for inquir- 
ers was held at some special hour of the day. 
None but inquirers were admitted. Each case 
was examined separately, and then instructed, 
and finally pressed to yield and believe. Many 
were thus brought into the light, and usually all 
that came were converted. 



278 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

We cannot descend further into the minutia of 
Bro. Bitler's methods. Some of them may be 
regarded as sensational, but they are free from 
the charge of being nonsense-ational. Whether 
reading revival news from adjacent towns and 
villages, calling out reports from visiting minis- 
ters or resident members, or narrating remarkable 
cases of recent conviction and conversion, he is 
constantly noising abroad the work of grace. 
The true inwardness of his meetings is seen in 
their outwardness, and every method is frank and 
open with no attempt at concealment or decep- 
tion. Thus he commands the respect and se- 
cures the confidence of the people, and we have 
yet to learn of a single instance in which his 
methods have met with criticism or censure. 

It is remarkable that he meets with no opposi- 
tion from without that can be regarded as of any 
importance. With many interests financially 
concerned — saloons not making expenses, houses 
of prostitution almost deserted, skating rinks 
crippled, transient dramatic troupes avoiding the 
city, so that a theatre would stand almost idle — 
yet no hostility observed, and murmurs of ap- 
proval floating in the air. Why is this ? Is the 
evangelist false to the truth ? Does he compro- 
mise with sin and trail the standards of doctrine. 
A partial answer is found in the fact that he an- 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 279 

tagonizes nobody. He says nothing about infi- 
delity, argues against no special trade, traffic or 
sin. Dancing clubs, euchre parties and side 
issues are not noticed. He pays no attention to 
difficulties, and gives no prominence to anything 
the enemy does till he surrenders, then he sings 
the doxology and displays the trophy. The 
doctrines preached are typical of any Methodist 
revival : Sin, repentance, faith, the witness of 
the Spirit, holiness, heaven : death, hell, the 
judgment, eternity ; all these were lifted like 
banners, waving an alarm or an invitation. He 
aims to convince the judgment, and rouse the 
conscience ; stirs the feelings by pathetic inci- 
dents and tender appeals, and makes the will his 
objective point. This he aims to carry by sun- 
shine and storm, and never flags or wavers or lets 
up on a sinner till he yields that point and submits 
to God. 

We are obliged to record one exception to the 
statement that Bro. Bitler met with no opposi- 
tion. The German Lutheran minister became 
concerned for his flock lest they should expe- 
rience the witness of justification by faith, and 
labored to divert them with all the industry that 
Luther employed to establish its truth. He cir- 
culated a silly pamphlet on the "Mourner's 
bench," and secured a lecturer who gave an hour 



280 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

to the treatment of a theme that was intended to 
guard against the pernicious effects of revivals. 
No attention was paid to this and but for the fact 
that his influence may have kept some of the 
"confirmed" away from Christ, it was too con- 
temptible to deserve notice. Poor fellow, the 
english language and the evangelistic spirit of 
Martin Luther is destined to cover him up and 
conquer the world. 




CHAPTER XXIV. 

PASTOR AND EVANGELIST. 

Pastor the Commander-in-Chief — Evangelist 

to have full scope not to be divorced 

from his methods conspicuous absentees 

Order of Signatures — Falling Off — All 
Evangelistic Agencies One Work. 

The relations of pastor and evangelist are not 
only intimate, but sometimes very delicate. 
Officially the pastor stands at the head, and his 
authority is recognized as supreme. His pulpit 
cannot be occupied by another without his con- 
sent, and the series of meetings are under his 
supervision and control. The evangelist is a 
subordinate officer, and he must recognize the 
pastor as commander-in-chief. But, though this 
relation must be mutually understood and recog- 
nized, there is another phase of the subject that 
practically puts the evangelist at the head and 
in the lead. In the nature of things the evan- 
gelist will take precedence and become more 
prominent as a factor of the meetings than the 
pastor himself. The prestige of former suc- 

283 



282 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

cesses, the confidence and expectation his pres- 
ence inspires, together with the novelty of his 
methods, will lead the people to exalt him, and 
for a time almost forget the faithful pastor. 
This is itself a feature of success, and con- 
tributes largely to the size and complexion of 
the congregations. Were the order reversed — 
the pastor new, and the evangelist familiar, — 
the pastor would become the object of attention. 
Any pastor, therefore, that expects to be the 
recognized force of the meeting will likely find 
himself so deeply "snowed under" that nothing 
but weeks of effective service will restore him to 
his throne of former prestige. The man that is 
not willing to succumb to the force of circum- 
stances should be content to labor alone and 
continue to be monarch of all he surveys. The 
pastor that refused to send for an evangelist, and 
turned the brethren away by saying, "If he 
can't preach better than I can, you don't need 
him, and if he can, /don't want him," was not 
willing to be temporarily superseded, even for 
Christ's sake. 

The evangelist and J lis methods must not be 
divoixcd. If the pastor feels that his official 
authority is compromised by giving the evange- 
list full scope, he is the wrong man to labor with 
an evangelist. We never knew an evangelist of 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 283 

any note that was not specially effective, because 
of his management and the employment of his 
methods. What he says, does, and succeeds 
in getting others to do, constitutes his service 
and insures his success. If he is limited and 
embarrassed in either of these, his locks are 
shorn and he becomes weak as other men. If 
the methods employed by an evangelist are not 
in accord with the views of the pastor, he has 
made a mistake in inviting him. His duty to 
the church and himself would seem to require 
that he know the man and his methods before 
he indorses both by an invitation. If, there- 
fore, a pastor wants ' ' a first-rate, second-rate 
man, to assist in his work, he should secure the 
appointment of a sub-pastor ; he has no use for 
an original genius who is specially endowed by 
the Holy Spirit to be an evangelist. 

The evangelist that would "come into a 
charge and assume the whole business and 
practically ignore the pastor and everybody 
else," would certainly belong to a class of 
house-breakers that deserve either to be barred 
out or locked up. But, on the other hand, a 
stickler for nice points of prerogative, who as- 
sumes control in detail, and seeks to confine the 
labors of an evangelist to a sphere of subordi- 
nate importance, would as certainly defeat the 



284 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

evangelist as that he continues to hold the reins. 
In most cases a mutual agreement and a natural 
adjustment of work and methods will harmonize 
the relations of both, and in the end leave the 
pastor not only at the head of his forces, but so 
fully enshrined in the hearts of the people that 
the young converts will lean upon him and look 
to him as a shepherd and guide. 

The pastor that insisted on occupying the pul- 
pit on Sunday and further stipulated for the regu- 
lar prayer-meeting on Wednesday night, made 
but one mistake: He should have filled the 
programme for the week. The case as it was, 
exhibited a species of narrowness that is some- 
times exhibited in union meetings, when the 
tenacious prelate insists on going through the 
forms prescribed by his chutch before the union 
part of the programme is recognized. Extrem- 
ists and bigots will doubtless curse the church 
and the world till the millennium ; but neither 
extreme, of impudence on the part of an irregu- 
lar evangelist, o^ jealous authority on the part 
of a regular pastor, can be legitimately employed 
as illustrations for or against the evangelistic 
field. They cancel each other, and weigh noth- 
ing except as antidotes. 

From the Lamp of Life we clip the following : 
"The Canadian Baptist thus justly reflects upon 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 285 

Mr. Moody's meetings at Toronto : ' We see no 
reason why each church, presided over by its pastor, 
should not be proportionately as successful as those 
meetings presided over by Mr. Moody. Were the 
praying done with equal earnestness by the member- 
ship, and the audience secured with equal solicita- 
tion ; were the singing as sympathetically and faith- 
fully prepared ; were the coming of God's blessing 
as confidently expected, the poorest preacher, if 
earnest, would undoubtedly be instrumental in ef- 
fecting large results. If christian people generally 
would do with the same persistency and enthusiasm 
what Toronto christians did for the Moody meetings, 
great results and evidences of God's power would 
cease to be exceptional.' " 

We judge that this paragraph was not written 
in the spirit of detraction. It is undoubtedly the 
truth, and were the churches as earnest in the 
support of their pastors, in most cases the results 
would be correspondingly great. But we must 
take things as they are, not as we could wish 
they were. Churches, as a rule, do not rally to 
the support of pastors with a cordiality and 
unanimity that insures success. Chief among 
the reasons that make a revivalist a necessity 
is this very fact. What pastor has not found 
that his Sabbath congregations and the week- 
night congregations differ chiefly in the absence 
of the very men that ought to stand by him in 



286 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

the hottest of the fight ? Where are the churches 
that can boast the presence of an official board at 
revival meetings, without some conspicuous ex- 
ceptions ? Many who are prominent in securing 
his appointment or in contributing to his support, 
either ignore him altogether in a revival, or leave 
him to labor with the little band of saints and 
growing congregation of sinners till things begin 
to boil over, and then either honor him with a 
transient visit or raise a question of current ex- 
pense, and ' ' wonder how long these meetings are 
going to run. " Many a godly pastor has wept over 
this state of affairs, and if those who know little 
about it can give us a better magnet by which to 
attract the whole church than the coming of an 
evangelist, we have the key to the coming of 
the millennium. Once let an evangelist sail in 
like a storm, and shake up old forms like an 
earthquake, and all the good people that havn't 
time to stand by the pastor will be seen in 
the distance, and peradventure get wounded 
even at long range. Perhaps the next siege 
may find them evangelistic enough to stand by 
the pastor as he stands by the guns. More- 
over, human nature is fickle, and the tendency 
to pursue the marvelous is universally prevalent. 
The pastor may preach like Apollos and argue 
like Paul, but when the novelty is worn off, and 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 287 

the marvelous is dissipated, "some new thing" 
is as much in demand as in the days of Athenian 
curiosity. An evangelist, with the prestige of 
immense success, the novelty of special methods, 
and the promise of a repetition of similar results, 
will do more by the very promise of his coming, 
than almost any pastor can accomplish by 
months of persistent pulpit and pastoral prepara- 
tion. When Bro. Bitler was announced for Cir- 
cleville it rolled a ripple across the city that 
stirred all classes, and kindled an expectancy 
that made saloonists fear the result, and chris- 
tians to congratulate themselves in anticipation 
of it. 

The pastor who has experienced every phase 
of these influences, alone can appreciate the im- 
mense advantage of an evangelist to agitate the 
mass and awaken the latent energies of the 
church. 

In issuing our card of invitation (referred to in 
the chapter on the Circleville jubilee) it so hap- 
pened that the signatures of evangelist and pastor 
were printed in the order just named. Among 
those sent out was one addressed to the Editor of 
the Christian Advocate. It appeared in substance 
in that paper with the following comment : 

We have received a printed invitation to be pres- 
ent at the "jubilee," signed by "J. S. Bitler, Evan- 



288 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

gelist, and C. F. Creighton, Pastor." We reproduce 
no notices signed in this order, but cheerfully an- 
nounce the above service in the name of C. F. 
Creighton, pastor, with J. S. Bitler as evangelist. — 
Ed. C. A. 

In this particular case the inference does not 
apply, for the reason that the pastor himself 
wrote the card and affixed the signatures. The 
order was not thought of, and the names affixed 
were set down about as indifferently as though 
both were spelled alike. But the comment is 
significant and sets the door ajar that opens into 
a large field of controversy ; one element of 
which is the idea of trespass on the part of evan- 
gelists on the authoritative domain of the regu- 
lar pastorate. We admit the force of such sug- 
gestions and their possible illustration in some 
cases, but insist that the case in hand was not 
only not one of them, nor is such the necessary 
tendency. If, however, we are compelled to ad- 
mit such tendency on the experience of others, 
we commiserate them in being unfortunate, and 
commend the example of Bro. Bitler as an ex- 
ception worthy the imitation of other evangelists. 

Bro. Bitler recognizes his relation to the pastor 
as that of a Helper. No occasion has arisen in 
all his labors hitherto for the least misunderstand- 
ing, or the slightest difference on grounds of 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 289 

jurisdiction. He feels especially grateful that his 
lot has been cast with men that have not only- 
approved but appreciated his labors, and did so 
much to insure his success and forward the work 
of God. In every instance special attachments 
have sprung up, and his regard for each of them 
is more to him like the affection of a brother 
than the mere professional relation that existed 
between them. On the other hand we are 
assured that the same regard is reciprocated by 
the pastors themselves. The labors, and christian 
spirit manifested by Bros. Riker, Turner, Green 
and Lewis, are often referred to by him, in terms 
that betoken an appreciation of their influence 
in bringing about results, that seems almost to 
lay his laurels at their feet. Truly they are en- 
titled to share them. In what proportion God 
only knows. They certainly made his triumphs 
possible and contributed their full quota to the 
aggregate numbers saved. This itself, covering 
a period of more than a year's labor, and in va- 
rious fields, is enough to prove the harmonious 
adjustment of the regular pastorate and the 
special evangelist, especially as illustrated in the 
work of Bro. Bitler. 

He not only expects the co-operation of the 
pastor in all his methods, but as earnestly desires 
that he be so completely identified with the re- 



29O NOISE IT ABROAD. 

vival results, that when it becomes necessary 
for him to leave the field the work may go on, 
and culminate with the reins so fully in the hands 
of the pastor, that the transition to regular pas- 
toral work and methods, may be made without 
a pause or break. We believe this has been the 
case in every instance, and with a new swarm on 
his hands the pastor is left with responsibilities 
vast enough to make an angel tremble. 

It is alleged that there is a greater falling off 
after revivals conducted by evangelists than after 
those conducted by pastors. True there is. 
The greater the revival, the moie perceptible the 
reaction. Pastors that have the greatest revivals 
suffer most from loss of probationers. Persons 
in the habit of disparaging revivals are not slow 
to mark these defections, and then assert that the 
converts are all gone back. Methodism is a re- 
vival, and we are not ignorant of this old dispar- 
agement of Methodist revivals. The fact is that 
Methodism in all its denominational branches 
numbers five millions strong, and if we continue 
to backslide at that rate for the next hundred 
years we can stand it, and furnish some other 
denominations with a few ministers and members 
besides. In working among the masses of the 
people, we handle a good deal of lumber, and no 
wonder if we threw away more bark than some 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 29 1 

of our critics. One of our greatest evangelists 
said that when he fished with a net he caught 
some frogs that were sure to hop out. Turning 
to a scriptural figure — the good fish were gathered 
and the bad were thrown away, showing that 
the fish were not sorted before they were caught, 
and that the gospel net takes all kinds. 

When Jesus was on earth, some that had been 
disciples "went back and walked no more with 
him." 

The seed that was scattered by the sower was 
' 'good seed, " but some of it fell on stony ground, 
some by the wayside, some the fowls took, some 
was choked and some brought a fruitful harvest. 

Any body that will look at these proportions, 
will see that there was a great loss of good seed, 
and the same ratio applied to revivals does in no 
way disparage the seed or the sower. Yet it is 
frequently urged against evangelists, when it ap- 
plies also to the Savior, and the inspired account 
of genuine gospel revivals Unless we take 
refuge behind an old barrier that- has long since 
been practically abandoned by its friends, and 
assert that "once in grace always in grace, " we 
are compelled to expect as one mark of a great 
revival that some of the number will backslide. 
2 Petet, 2:22, will be verified if the revival goes 



292 NOISE IT ABROAD. 

deep enough to reach men that are living for their 
lusts.* 

The work of evangelism, whether under forms 
of the regular pastorate, or the special agency 
of evangelists, must be regarded as one work, 
and that the work of God. If denominations 
which differ in everything that belongs to method 
and polity, and agree in the essential evangelical 
doctrines, must be counted in the aggregate to 
make the visible church of God, then special 
evangelistic agencies may justly claim the same 
practical identity on the ground of this agree- 
ment. Indeed the only point of agreement that 
is absolutely essential is the experimental. It is 
a matter of mutual rejoicing, that regular pas- 
torates are now more thoroughly imbued with 
the spirit of revival than ever before, and that 
special evangelistic agencies are increasing. 
Evangelists are far more numerous than we are 

*The whole number of conversions at the Gallipolis revi- 
val was 625. Of these, manv were members of the different 
churches of the city; but 416 united with the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. After six months trial, only thirty-three 
were dropped. Of the remainder, 3 died, 6 joined other 
churches, 29 removed by letter, 25 removed without letter, 
60 were continued on probation (many of these were chil- 
dren), and 260 were recommended to be received into full 
connection. Of these. 223 were present and took the vows 
of the church. We are not ready to report from Circlevillc 
but expect the ratio to be equally good. 



NOISE IT ABROAD. 293 

apt to suppose. They are hard to number on 
the wing, but at a meeting held at "Ocean 
Grove," there were I, 500 of them present. 

Great revivals are becoming more frequent. 
Camp-meetings are multiplying. Last year more 
than two hundred camp-meetings were held un- 
der the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church alone. Scriptural holiness leavens the 
churches and permeates these special agencies, 
and during the past year sixty conventions were 
held for the promotion of holiness, aside from 
the camp-meetings. 

The divine mission of Women is being recog- 
nized, and not only utilized in subordinate spheres 
as heretofore, but conspicuously advanced to the 
front of missionary and evangelistic work. 

The Salvation Army with 1,000 Corps, and 
2,400 Officers, now numbers 600,000 strong. 

We are in the midst of an evangelistic period 
that is destined to secure the ends for which 
Jesus died, and hasten "the coming of the day 
of God." 




??&. 



